Spring cleaning for your soul

Jim Farrer April 13, 2022

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Some homeowners are involved in various aspects of spring cleaning. Weekend athletes are making another attempt to "shape up" their bodies. It is also appropriate for Christian leaders to clean up their spiritual lives. Here are eight ways to care for and clean up your soul this spring.

1. Clear the fog

Talbot School of Theology Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership Gary L. McIntosh observes that even the best Christian leaders may find themselves engulfed in a dark cloud or fog. He lists the fog of fatigue where we lose perspective, the fog of frustration with the loss of patience, and the fog of fear where one loses heart.

The Bible also reminds us that Satan and his minions bring lies, confusion and chaos. They ensnare us (Deuteronomy 7:25) and blind our minds to the Gospel (II Corinthians 4:4).

Henri Nouwen in his book In the Name of Jesus contrasts Jesus' temptations and those of current Christian leaders.

2. Spirituality is the wrong word.

The basic Bible word translated as soul or psyche is nephesh.According to Hans Walter Wolff in Anthropology of the Old Testamentthis word means a needy living throat dependent upon God's breath to continually fill it to sustain life and health. The goal is to make more room for God, says Eberhard Arnold of the Bruderhof communities.

The words spiritual and spirituality are popular phrases but the Bible prefers other words. Eugene H. Peterson in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places(p.40) reveals that the main Old Testament phrase for living appropriately before the God of the Bible is "the fear-of-the-LORD" which occurs at least 138 times. Psalm 24:6 calls our response "seeking God's face."

3. Cleansing of sin

Many "contemporary worship services" leave no room for confession. But the Bible has more than 30 words describing the many facets of sin. In Jeremiah 17:9, sin is a sickness unto death. The Hebrew word here means incurable or malignant. Another Bible word for sin means going to the enemy's side. Charismatic colleagues claim that the confession of our sin gives the demonic world fewer areas of our life upon which to cling. Eduard Thurneysen in A Theology of Pastoral Care calls God's forgiveness a change of regime: "Assurance of pardon is ultimately to be understood as exorcism" (p.316).

4. Which idols?

We should also review which idols affect us. Isaiah 57:13 reads: "Let your collection of idols deliver you." Professor Claus Westermann observes that the word for idols here is abominations. The biblical prophets are brutal in their denigration of the idols calling them "empty wind" and in II Kings 23:24, "piles of dung." (I've used the polite term.)

Micah 1:6-7 warns about the "metal gods" (Moffatt translation). Today we must be aware of our potentially twisted priorities and over-dependence upon things, possessions, science, technology, governments and military might.

Hans Urs von Balthasar talks about the importance of turning from the many to the essential, that is "to only serve the living and true God" (I Thessalonians 1:9).

5. Review questions to ask ourselves

• Whose am I?
• Who am I?
• Am I using my spiritual gifts?
• What is my passion and glee?
• What do I need to let go of?
• When was the last time a group laid hands on me to pray for the cleansing of idols and then to be filled with the joy of the Lord?
• Who am I training to take over very aspects of ministry?
• Jesus, what do you want me to be/do?

6. Count blessings

Many life coaches stress the importance of listing several good things which happened each day. Philippians 4:8 declares: "… if there is anything worthy of praise you must keep on thinking about these things."

7. Perspective from history and from on high

It's hard to be grounded/centered when rattled by the chatter of the culture, the world's chaos and the devil's confusion. There are dastardly deeds done to helpless people and regional conflicts breaking out all over.

What we don't realize is that in the Western world, "Over a period of 17 centuries, the longest era without a major war involving two or more "great powers" of that era lasted for thirty-eight years, nine months, and five days." See Lyle E. Schaller It's a Different World (p.36). That record was broken on May 15, 1984. Because of God's providence and grace, the record now has been extended beyond 75 years!

8. Seeking comfort or maturity

T. David Beck, PhD in the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care (2009) alerts us that in the Bible the Holy Spirit is both a comforter (John 14:16 KJV) and also the divine "dis-comforter." Each of us may face times of spiritual wrestling that God intends for our deeper transformation and maturing in Christ.

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Jim Farrer is the founder of Vital Signs Church Consulting and a member of the Society for Church Consulting. A broadly-trained church consultant, Jim is also a veteran of ministry positions in Canada and the U.S., he has trained leaders from 18 denominations and led seminars and coaching sessions nationwide. His articles have been published in the Journal of Evangelism and Missions and the Great Commission Research Journal. You can reach him by e-mailing revup1@yahoo.com or calling 814 629-5211. Learn More »

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