Clean Break

I've been cleaning out my room the past two days as I want to redo it. Trust, it's been beyond stressful, as well as time-consuming! I've also had mixed emotions; part of me is super excited to repaint my room and get new bedding and all that, but this other part of me (the lazy, teenage part) does not feel like going through tons of rubbish (well, my gran calls it rubbish but I call it valuable-items-that-may-one-day-come-in-handy) during my holiday when I should be lounged in front of the TV with a few slabs of chocolate in my belly.
Then today I got thinking (yes, cleaning your room actually causes you to have some really deep, profound thoughts!), cleaning out your room and redoing it is often what we have to do on our Christian journey  (or even if you're not a Christian, it's something that generally a person has to do in life).
There are times in our lives where we have to redo ourselves, we have to clean out all the "garbage" that is lying rampant in our lives and bring in new, Godly things instead. This is all part of maturing, not only as a person, but also in our relationship with God.
Ephesians 4:14-15 says, "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." 
I will go so far as to say that this is essential in our Christian walk. Often we have this "rubbish" in our lives, whether it may be an addiction to pornography, struggling with lying, devious secrets from our past, or just anything that may hinder us in our walk with God. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "...throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles...". To hinder ultimately means to delay, and I don't know about you, but I definitely don't anything delaying me from growing closer to God. It excites me see what is in store when we get closer to this incredible, mighty, all powerful God!
Then once we've thrown this rubbish out and have dealt with it, often we have to go through a process of reconstruction where God forms you into the person He has called you to be. After all, as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, " Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price..." And then in Acts, Luke says, " However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.". Ultimately, our lives are for God's glory completely, but the amazing thing is, although our life is now completely God's, He still allows US to live it and make our own choices and decisions.
Therefore, just as God reforms us and recreates us, He also brings in new opportunities, situations and gifts. He gives you new bedding to be able to cover those with your spiritual warmth, He gives you a new bed to be able to bring rest to those who are overburdened, and, amongst many other things, He even gives you new paint so that others can immediately see the difference in you and want to be changed too.
This is exciting! I'm excited as I write this. God, who created the whole universe and everything in it, desires a relationship with you, and He EVEN REWARDS us for having a relationship with Him, not only through eternal life, but by making a new you.
So here's my challenge: If you're struggling with any 'rubbish' in your life, don't waste another moment! Give it to God RIGHT NOW. Allow God to create a newness in you and let that newness spread- the Gospel is contagious!