A Lenten Devotional

Every spring, in addition to doing a more thorough cleaning of the house, my wife and engage in a “cleaning out” of our closet and personal items. This process involves sorting, discarding, and reorganizing.

The season of Lent arrives each year quietly inviting us to open the closet of our soul and take an inventory. Just as spring cleaning clears away the dust and clutter that accumulates unnoticed, Lent calls us to examine our inner lives and make space for God’s renewing grace. It is not about self-condemnation, but soul-restoration.

Scripture reminds us that God is deeply interested in this interior work. The psalmist prays, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Lent is that season when we hold our inner self up to the light and ask what needs to be swept out. This may include things like the resentments we’ve nursed, the habits that dull our compassion, and distractions that throw us off track.

Spring cleaning is rarely glamorous. It involves getting into corners we’d rather ignore. Yet it is precisely there that grace does its best work. When we fast, pray, give generously, and practice repentance, we are not earning God’s love. Rather, we are clearing away the debris that keeps us from experiencing it fully.

C.S. Lewis suggested,“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” Lent gently reorients us in this daily reliance. Each act of surrender is like wiping down a dusty shelf. It is a small but intentional practice that is transformative over time.

In the early 16th century, Martin Luther described repentance not as a one-time event but as a lifelong posture. In a world focused on outward religious performance, Luther emphasized the ongoing need for inner renewal. This radical idea reframed faith as a continual turning of the heart toward God. His insight affirms that repentance is not about dwelling on guilt, but about returning to grace again and again.

As we journey through Lent, imagine God walking through the rooms of your soul with you, not as a harsh inspector, but as a loving companion. Some things will be kept, while others will be discarded.

Lent has a way of decluttering the chaos within so that our sense of peace is restored. Many years ago, Billy Graham advised, “Like a spring of pure water, God’s peace in our hearts brings cleansing and refreshment to our minds and bodies.”

This year, when Easter arrives, may it find our hearts lighter, cleaner, and more spacious, and ready to welcome the risen Christ with joy.