Clean House

A one-off thought I had when cleaning my house

Last week, I was prepping for a visitor that would tour my house. As I was cleaning some things up, I remembered those times growing up, when we would have someone visit the house and for some reason that meant we needed to clean every inch of the house? Even if the visitors were only staying in the living room. I was laughing to myself about the correlation (and about how we really do become like our parents-just better versions), when I had a thought.

This is how many people live their lives.

Many live to present themselves to others. In constant presentation, never ending performance, when they are in the presence of others. Not understanding that they are constantly in the presence of God. We always have the audience of heaven.

This is why the David wrote in Psalm 139:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

When we live this way, we disregard the heaviest and most meaningful presence. The presence of God. Who not only sees us physically, but in every other way, which Psalm 139 teaches us more about. God sees everything.

It’s very dangerous to live constantly cleaning up when people come around. This was the sin of King Saul. This heart posture stripped him of his anointing, his purpose, his dignity, and ultimately his life. He ended in shame, hating the one who had a pure heart, who spent his days as a shepherd, always aware of God’s presence. For these reasons, David was a better king - he was one after God’s heart. (You can read all about this in the book of 1 Samuel, starting from chapter 8.) David was so farrr from perfect, but perfection is not the point, posture is.

Who are you trying to win over? Who are you living for? Are you living authentically? Or putting on a show? What is the point of that?

You can tell whose heart you’re after, by who you present yourself best to.

I pray we received the wisdom and grace to be more consistent in our private and public living. To present ourselves to God alone and let everyone else be a second-hand viewer.