2 Timothy 2 - House Cleaning

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2 Timothy 2

​What do you see when you look around your room? Probably some useful things, like a bed and dresser, or a beautiful painting from a dear friend, or a box full of heirloom jewelry. Likely also some not so useful items, like old letters you shouldn’t have kept, books you shouldn’t have read, clothes that no longer fit, an empty water bottle and granola bar wrapper. Maybe there are a few dirty, dusty, who-knows-what under the bed.

In this chapter, Paul presents an image of a great house. This house holds a wide variety of things, some extremely valuable, and some quite common; some used for honorable purposes, and some for dishonorable purposes.

Do you know that you are a great house built by the Master Creator? And like this house or your room, you are a vessel containing a wide variety of contents… talents, gifts, ideas, quirks, dispositions, experiences, etc.

Sometimes we mix and match these contents for good purposes, but if we are honest, sometimes we also use them for the not-so good. Paul tells us we must cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable.

What does it look like to examine the things in our house/room/self? We will find some need to be cleansed from unholy use (do we use our words to tear down instead of build-up?). Some need to be dusted off because they have gotten dirty (did we at one time have a positive encouraging attitude, but have since become cynical and judgmental?). Some need to be taken for a few test drives to enhance their effectiveness (do we feel God nudging us toward something, but we have been afraid to take the leap?).

Here’s the exciting thing: as a result of the house cleaning, we will become vessels for HONORABLE USE, SET APART as HOLY, USEFUL to the Master of the house (God), and READY for EVERY GOOD WORK.

Oh, how I want to cease using the things God has placed in me for unholy purposes, or just as bad, left unused. Time for a little house-cleaning!

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