Hospitality Hints is a monthly feature on our blog with some helpful tips for being hospitable in everyday life. Our hints may involve inviting people over, but not always! Most of the time, they will be about having a posture of hospitality—welcoming others into our lives.
The idea of spring cleaning makes me want to hide in the corner of my room. Some of you are probably the type that literally can’t wait to give everything a once-over, but it honestly scares me.
My problem is that I make a massive mess on the way to cleaning up. I can’t just stick to one closet or one drawer. I get distracted, take walks down memory lane, and basically pull out everything before it goes back where it belongs (or to the thrift store).
A good spring cleaning is probably good for all of us—it’s honestly about so much more than actual cleaning. It’s about the state of our hearts.
When you clean your home, your schedule, and your life, you become more open to interruptions, opportunities, and offering grace. When I keep my house straightened up, I’m much more willing to have people over because it’s ready. I don’t have to do hours worth of work before invite friends for dinner. I can be way more spontaneous and open to opportunities that come along.
Some of us aren’t open to what God might use us to do because we’ve become such a mess. We desperately need one of those experiences where we pull out all of the junk in our lives and sort through it. For a lot of us (including myself), it means going to see a Christian counselor. Spring cleaning isn’t just about our closet or basement; it’s a time for us to ask God to do a work in our hearts and lives so that we can be used effectively for Him.
In a very practical sense, what are some things you need to give away? Maybe your church has a lot of Bible study kits sitting around that you could donate to another ministry. Perhaps you have “extras” of a lot of things like scarves, jewelry, and kitchen supplies. Those are the kind of things that other women would love to have! It just takes some effort on our part to declutter our lives.
As we clean our houses, let’s pray that God would show us ways to reach out to those in need and open our homes.
Here are a few helpful articles on literal ways to get your hands dirty doing some spring cleaning!
Joanna Gaines’s Tips for Spring Cleaning
20 Things You Should Deep Clean This Spring from House Beautiful
Printable Checklist from Martha Stewart
Spring Cleaning Shortcuts from Real Simple
Mary Margaret Collingsworth serves as an Event Project Coordinator at Lifeway Christian Resources and coordinates training events for women in leadership. She has a passion to see women engaged in ministry and living out their calling. Mary Margaret loves teaching God’s Word, eating Mexican food, calling Nashville home, and hosting Lifeway Women’s {MARKED} podcast. Follow her on Twitter: @marymargaretc.