They serve so many purposes. They keep elements out, they let cool air in, they give you a view of outdoors, or indoors depending on your position. They can be functional and sterile, or they can be a form of art and breathtakingly beautiful.

I tend to think my windows are clean because I can see through them. Then, the sunshine hits them at certain times of the day and I see a layer of dirt…which is quite annoying. Instead of seeing outside, I just see the layer of grime. Sunlight pointed out dirt that I didn’t see before.

Spiritual disciplines are practices that give space for the Light of God’s Spirit to shine on the windows of our soul. If we are attentive enough and desire to know the truth about ourselves, we will begin to see the layer of dirt and grime. A good spiritual director asks questions and listens, helping us see the places harder for us to recognize.

When I look out my window and see the grime I have two choices. I can ignore it until the sunshine changes positions and the grime isn’t so noticeable, or I can pull out my gloves, cleanser, water, and rags and get to work cleaning the grime off.

The beauty of God’s Spirit shining on the windows of our soul is He is the One who graciously shows us the grime, and He is the One who lovingly cleans and purifies us. If we try ourselves, it’s just a whitewash job, but God’s job is permanent window washing.

King David prayed to God after God exposed the grime of sin through the words of the prophet Nathan, “Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:2