Dust Bunnies

As we moved all of the furniture in our house into the center of each room to paint, I was amazed at how many dust bunnies live in the dark corners where no one disturbs them. Even when a house appears to be impeccably clean, all you need to do is look under the refrigerator or the oven to find an assortment of dust, pet hair, crumbs and all of the things that have been missing for months.

Dirt and dust accumulate in the dark recesses, either forgotten or ignored until something brings them out into the open. Most people don't worry about the dirt under their appliances until they are faced with the sight of it and then they quickly move to clean up the mess.

How true is this for our own lives? Do we appear squeaky clean on the outside to onlookers, but have sin hidden deep in the corners of our hearts? Do we tuck the dark things back into hiding so that no one can see them?

I think sometimes when we are trying to get rid of a specific sin in our lives, we tend to clean like we do in our houses. All of the visible dirt is gone, but sometimes that sin lingers in the corners, waiting until we are tempted again.

Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Christians too frequently put their focus on fixing bad behaviors instead of changing the core: sinful thoughts and attitudes. Living the Christian life isn't just about doing the right things, it's about doing the right things for the right reasons and with the right attitudes. If the heart isn't on track, the rest of it doesn't matter.

Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

How many dust bunnies do you have living in dark corners? Maybe it's time to shine a little light on them and do some deep cleaning.