When we hear the phrase cleaning the house, most of us picture spring. Windows are opened, closets are emptied, and dust is chased out. Spring cleaning is energetic and hopeful, a ritual tied to new beginnings and visible change.
Winter cleaning, on the other hand, feels unnecessary—almost inconvenient. After all, winter is for hibernating. There is no rush—only time. And that is precisely why winter cleaning makes such a fitting metaphor for spiritual examination.
Winter invites us to slow down. Winter cleaning is not about appearances; it’s about care. It asks us to look honestly at what has accumulated and decide what still serves its purpose.
Scripture often calls us to this same kind of inward attention. Not the dramatic changes we make when everything feels fresh and exciting, but the deeper work of examining our hearts in quiet seasons.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).
Spiritual examination is best done slowly and intentionally. We take one thing at a time—one habit, one attitude, one thought pattern. We ask hard questions: What have I been carrying that no longer brings life? What has gone untouched for too long? Where has clutter replaced peace?
The apostle Paul encourages this kind of reflection when he writes:
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
This examination is not meant to condemn us, just as cleaning a home is not an act of punishment. It is an act of love—care for what God has entrusted to us.
Winter cleaning also teaches us that not everything needs to be discarded. Some things only need restoring. A neglected shelf needs dusting. A forgotten drawer needs organizing. In the same way, spiritual examination may reveal areas that need renewal rather than removal. Our practices of prayer, gratitude, and attentiveness to God’s presence may have become less energetic.
In the quieter seasons of life, God invites us not to overhaul everything at once, but to tend carefully to what has been neglected. As we prayerfully examine our hearts, we discover that this work is not about self-criticism, but about making room—room for peace, for clarity, and for renewed devotion. When we slow down enough to notice the dust, we also make space for God to breathe fresh life into places we thought were dormant.
As we engage in this work of reflection, we trust that God meets us with grace and patience. He restores us with love. The quiet faithfulness of winter prepares us for growth we cannot yet see, confident that God is at work even when change feels hidden.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
(Psalm 51:10)
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