Popcorn Night: Spring Cleaning the Soul

Hello friend, and hello Spring!

Sometimes, in order to clean my house it involves getting rid of insects - especially living down in the southern pines of North Carolina. Unwanted spiders or ants can make their way in, and if I'm not keeping up on my cleaning, they can nest and eventually reproduce. Then my house would become infested. To prevent that problem from growing, I have to destroy any little homes I find forming. I rid them from my home, where they don't belong. Some could even be a fatal threat to my family, like poisonous spiders or scorpions. Therefore, I need to clean, treat, and repeat to prevent or stop infestation.

In a very real way, sin can take on the same role. Our bodies are our home, and our souls need cared for within just as do our bodies. When we wash our faces and brush our teeth, lets remember the importance of being renewed in our minds as well. (1) {Wash our souls, Lord.} Sin has a subtle way of creeping in, and if left unchecked, can nest and take root in our hearts. In order to prevent sin from infesting and growing in our souls, we need to clean, treat, and repeat.

We clean our hearts of sin by accepting Christ's payment for them on the cross. Confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead and we will be saved (2) - This is cleansing us from our sins. Asking God to forgive us from our sins and going on to sin no more, repentance. Understanding that our salvation is not contingent upon what we have done, but what our Lord and Savior did for us. (3) An unconditional gift, not conditional by what we can do. Christ payed the price and said, "It is finished.". (4) Washed clean our souls.

To treat our souls, we must walk in the Spirit thereafter. Preventing any infestation of sin. The Word says a house swept clean is left wide open to the enemy if the house is left empty (5), or not filled with the Holy Spirit. First, pray for God to fill you, I am praying this for us even now. Studying God's word to learn who He is will treat your soul. The Living Word. May it stay fresh in our minds, wiping away any webs of the enemy. Take up the armor of God (6) and see the fruit of the Spirit {love..} take root. (7) This way we have an unchanging standard to hold everything. A standard of Truth. When that little pest, selfishness, creeps in - or drunkenness wants to crawl up and make itself comfortable in your life - you stand on the Word of God. We remember Galatians 5: 24 and know that "those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to the cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." Wipe it out. Pray. Treat your soul.

Repeat. Lets not forget to remain in the body of believers. We need the church, we are the church. I saw a meme that said, "Not going to church because of hypocrites is like not going to the gym because of out of shape people." How true that is! I pray we remain in a Bible based church to worship and fellowship, for encouragement, accountability and warning. (8) Furthermore, the music we fill our minds with will be what's on repeat in our souls. May we take care in humming along with the Spirit, not otherwise. I promise this is the foundation on which your house will always stand through eternity. (9) Peace will then reign in Him. May God bless you, my friend, as we together work on spring cleaning our souls. My thoughts and prayers are with you, as I hope I might be in yours.

In Christ's Love,

Traci Ann

Featured Music: Tobymac - City On Our Knees