I Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? . . . Therefore, honor God with your body.”

During quarantine, cleaning out my house should have been my sport: every cabinet opened, every drawer dumped onto the floor, and every closet purged. All nick-knacks should have been evaluated as to whether they held sentimental value. If not, they could have disappeared, allowing for a bit more breathing room.

However, since I chose to spend quarantine differently, it should come as no surprise that all my ducks are NOT in a row.

Surely, the results of a purge would have been amazing! Items used could be quickly located. Opening cabinet doors would no longer require quick reflexes to duck from falling debris. And, certainly I would have discovered extra leisure time presently spent rummaging for lost items.

With such blissful thoughts of household peace and order, perhaps it is time to turn our focus inward. As we contemplate the joy in replacing chaos with harmony in our earthly homes, we must remember our bodies are the home where God’s spirit resides. So, just as we clear our homes for a special guest, we should clean and redecorate our souls, offering the Holy Spirit a new and improved dwelling place, for He, too, thrives in a home void of contention and chaos.

Perhaps we could begin by considering our plethora of extracurriculars that fail to glorify our Father. Might we do well to replace some of them with activities that draw mankind closer to the heart of Jesus? Do we have skeletons in our closets needing to be removed? Old grudges and prejudices can clutter our souls leaving little room for the décor of the Fruit of the Spirit. Decorating with love, joy, peace and patience create the perfect ambiance for the Spirit’s indwelling. But envy and greed leave no room for happiness when others receive blessings in our place.

Sisters, perhaps you, like me, failed to get the house purged during the great quarantine of 2020 but never fear, it is not too late to get our spiritual ducks in a row. May our soul-purge begin today. Put out the welcome mat and leave the porch light on as we invite the Holy Spirit in.

Father God, help us empty our lives of the elements that bring You no glory. May we replace them with everything the Holy Spirit desires as He lives mightily within us. May we feel his indwelling power.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane