How to Clean Out Your Fridge

At my office is a Staff Refrigerator. That fridge has been on the fritz for awhile and facilities sent out an e-mail basically asking all staff to clean out any food we brought. No one did! For a week or so that fridge was unplugged. So as I was picking up some copies in the workroom today I noticed a foul odor, upon further investigation I came to the conclusion it was the fridge. I opened it (what was I thinking?) and out came one of the worst smells you can imagine. Things were growing in there if that gives you a word picture. So, Robyn from facilities and I strapped on some latex gloves and cleaned that baby out. Problem solved! But not easy on the eyes, nose and the office.
Now let me move onto our lives in the same vein. Often times if we leave things alone that we know are not good, rotten is more like it, it will not be hidden for long. It will be noticeable!! Why on earth do we allow ourselves to be convinced that we might get away with hiding the yuck of our lives from others, even God?
Believers do not for the most part do a great job of "speaking the truth to one another in love" nor do we do a great job of "confessing our sins to one another so we might be healed." Nor do we practice much of what we are commanded by going to someone in sin and confronting them over for the sole purpose of restoring them back into right relationship with God. How long do we think we can hide the rotten smell of our lives in secret? Perhaps at one time or another instead of grace being applied liberally we experienced judgement. So we might not know how to apply it to others or we are fearful of being considered self-righteous and judgemental. Or we just live much too isolated from others to earn the right to know and be known. Scripture is clear that we must be iron sharpeners. We must live close enough to each other to know and be known, to care/love enough to confront, for the long term consequences are not good. We will end up being a stench to ourselves and others.
So lets choose to live out what David said in Psalm 139, "search me O God and know my heart, try me and see if there is any wickedness in me and lead me to the righteous and everlasting way." Today, do a self inspection, clean out your "fridge/soul" before the inner contents get out and everyone knows, or worse, God and you end up far apart/hypocritical and hardended in your heart. I think I will clean out my fridge on a regular basis, excuse me I need to go to the kitchen right now!!!!