Finding a little bit of dirt?

Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Home - not a temporary dwelling, but a permanent residence, where one is 'at ease'. When Christ comes into our hearts, he isn't there to put us into a state of 'unease', but he is also not there to allow us to continue in our mediocrity and compromise. Where he dwells will become a 'clean dwelling', even if it doesn't start out that way! 

His love will set things in order. Even the most 'disorderly' life will find things that once seemed so hard to 'sort out' getting put into order. Emotions that were all over the board will find a balance. Thoughts that kept us doubting one day, trusting the next, fearful all the time - they will be 'sorted', allowing us to know peace and assurance. Selfish motivations will soon be 'swept out', allowing us to see beyond our own wants and wishes.

When Christ sets to work, there is no stopping what his power within us will accomplish, but it always begins with an 'internal clean up'. We might not realize just how 'filthy' our motivations have been, but when he runs his fingers over our lives, he is sure to find dirt in the places we haven't touched in years! I have high 'nooks' all along my ceiling in my home, but I don't 'dust' them weekly. I am lucky to get up on the ladder and do it once a year! Is dirt hiding up there? You bet! Does it need regular attention. Definitely! Jesus isn't one to 'put off' what we might put off - he gets at what is 'hiding' in the recesses so the entire 'house' will be clean!

His power sets things in motion, but his love is what motivates that action in the first place. We can never lose sight of this important fact - he loves us too much to allow the 'dirty places' of our lives to remain 'untouched' by his hand. Just sayin!