is your temple? When we move house, it is a good idea to sort things – to get rid of the stuff we do not need any more. If we keep everything, it can become a burden and we may find ourselves suffocating. But we can take the opportunity to replace outdated technologies, broken items or old, misfitting clothes. It is the same with our Christian life. We need to evaluate and think of the traditions and values we seem to be basing our lives on. Are they still reliable? Are they serving the Kingdom? Or do we need to get rid of them? Perhaps we should allow Jesus to do some cleaning in our temples. But for this we need to take some steps. First, we ought to think about our traditions, values and attitudes. We might even want to write them down. Second, we need to put them in front of the throne of God and wait for the moment when the Holy Spirit will lead us – what’s called the kairos (right 3or opportune) moment. It’s the kind of moment that came when Jesus was talking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and ‘he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures’ (Luke 24:45). Are we ready for those moments when Jesus opens our eyes and shows us what he wants us to get rid of? When we do not clean things regularly life can get difficult. It is easier to keep things clean than to let them get dirty and damaged before then having to clean them. It is the same in our spiritual journey. Daily devotions are like daily cleaning, and other intentional times – when we attend workshops, for example – are like a special cleaning, when we sit before God and allow him to open
I am coming, Lord, Coming now to thee; Wash me, cleanse me in thy blood That flowed on Calvary (SASB 423)
our hearts and show us what we need to remove. Are we doing that? Are we allowing Jesus to clean our temples regularly? John says: ‘If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). Jesus cleanses us individually, but it also means we can enjoy fellowship together. Holy Week provides us with an opportunity to think and reflect on the cleaning Jesus wants us to do in our temple. We need to allow time and space for this because holiness is an ongoing process. It is not a one-time activity. To be holy is to make ourselves vulnerable, to accept changes and keep moving.
LIEUTENANT YOUSAF IS CORPS OFFICER, STOCKPORT HEATON NORRIS
Salvationist 9 April 2022 Salvationist Day Month 2020
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