Blogging and Cleaning

I heard some criticisms of blogging today describing people who do nothing but sit at home and eat while they rant and rave their poorly thought out ideas. I'm very glad I don't know any "bloggers" like that. I am continually encouraged and/or challenged by the blogs that I keep up with, or at least try to keep up with. I'm so thankful for people who are willing to share their lives and hearts even if just in little blurbs online.

We cleaned tonight for what BBC has termed, "white glove." The goal is for the judges to vote our dorm the cleanest amongst the other guys dorms, and the same for the ladies. And believe me, that's not an easy process here in good old Shaffer... After misplacing some ceiling tiles, and a few trips out to my car with Grant - our room looks great. No clutter. No dust. Nothing that would make the judges take a second look and question the cleanliness of our room. The problem with that is that above the ceiling tiles are TV trays, cameras, blankets, and clothes. And behind the blankets hanging from my bed and our closet is a jumbled concoction of dirty clothes, computer parts, boxes, shoes, dumbbells, suitcases, and rubber-maids. And in our dresser drawers are dirty glasses, dirty clothes, pens, tissues, a hammer, movies, and kool-aid mixes.

I can't help but think about Jesus' words in Matthew 23:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

I'm praying for a soft heart, and a spirit that is willing to allow God to get on the inside and do His dirty work on my heart. I'm praying for the Lord's hand to stir within the mess of my inward parts and cleanse me from the inside out.

What do people see as they look at your actions? Are you neat and clean?
What does God see as He looks at your heart? Are you full of hypocrisy?