Three dreams of cleaning house

I have been a Christian for many years. By that I mean I believe in the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. I believe Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins, and I believe He physically rose from the dead three days later.

That resurrection is at the very heart of the Christian faith. If Jesus had stayed in the grave, He would have been just another teacher. But because He conquered death, I believe He has the authority to forgive sin, rescue us from eternal separation from God—what the Bible calls hell—and give eternal life to everyone who puts their trust in Him.

I also believe that following Jesus means continually turning away from sin. Christians call this repentance. It doesn’t just mean saying, “I’m sorry.” It means recognizing when something in our lives pulls us away from God, asking for His forgiveness, and choosing to walk in a different direction. It isn’t about earning God’s love. Jesus already proved His love on the cross. Repentance is about allowing Him to change us into people who think, speak, and love more like He does.

For a long time I have prayed to see more fruit from my prayers. I long to see God heal people, restore broken hearts, and draw people to Himself. Many people around me struggle with sickness, mental illness, loneliness, or questions about who they are. I have my own health challenges too. For years I rarely remembered my dreams because my sleep was so poor. Over the last couple of years, that has changed.

A few nights ago I had one dream in three distinct parts. In the Bible, when something is repeated three times, it often carries special emphasis. Whether this dream was from God or simply something He used to make me think more deeply, it has stayed with me.

The first part took place in a small kitchen. I was talking with a friend—or perhaps my sister—while a huge pot of rice, beans, and lentils cooked on the stove. Suddenly she gasped. I turned around just as the pot exploded, spraying food across the walls, the stove, and the floor.

Oddly, I wasn’t upset. My first thought was simply, “I’ll clean this up, and then we’ll eat.”

But my companion looked at the mess, lost her appetite, and quietly left.

The second part moved into my home, where my husband and I were cleaning. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be another task waiting. I picked up old cassette tapes and discovered another mess underneath them. Later I found boxes of children’s cartoon cassettes in storage and wondered whether they were worth keeping anymore. Should I save them for someone who might one day use them, or was it finally time to let them go?

The dream wasn’t stressful so much as full of unfinished decisions. It felt like sorting through old things, clearing away clutter, and asking what still belonged.

Then came the third part.

I was standing in my own room holding a strange lens. Looking through it allowed me to see something that was invisible without it. Scattered throughout the room were little bug- or virus-like creatures. They weren’t attacking me, but they clearly didn’t belong there.

Without fear, I began speaking to them.

“Leave in Jesus’ name.”

One after another they fled.

But two of them stayed exactly where they were.

Instead of leaving, they looked back at me and answered, “I am bound.” I understood it right away, they were unclean spirits, able to stay and affect (infect?) me while I still have lingering sin in my life.

That response stayed with me after I woke. While I was still half asleep, I prayed and asked the Lord whether these represented sins I needed to repent of. I only sensed clarity about one: gluttony.

I’m still praying about what that means, especially because living with Type 1 diabetes makes the issue more complicated than simply eating too much. I don’t want to jump to conclusions where Scripture itself doesn’t.

For me, though, the dream wasn’t really about one particular sin.

It was about what sin does.

The Bible describes sin as anything that goes against God’s character. Some sins are obvious. Others quietly settle into our lives until we hardly notice them anymore. They slowly change who we are. They make us more selfish, more impatient, less loving, less joyful, less honest, and harder to live with. They slowly reshape our character.

Jesus called His followers “the light of the world.” I don’t believe that light comes from us; it comes from Him. But when we hold on to sin, it’s like soot collecting on the glass of a lantern. The flame is still there, but fewer people can see its light. Our witness grows dim. The people around us see less of Jesus and more of our pride, anger, selfishness, or fear.

The Bible also warns that sin does more than damage relationships. If we knowingly cling to it instead of bringing it before God, it hardens our hearts and separates us from Him. Left unresolved, that separation leads to judgment. That is why repentance matters so much. It isn’t about becoming religious or trying to earn salvation. It is about staying close to the One who gave His life to save us.

What has stayed with me most from this dream is not the creatures themselves.

It is the cleaning.

Every part of the dream involved cleaning something: a kitchen, a house, old possessions, and finally my own room—where only the lens could reveal what still needed attention.

Whether this dream was simply my own subconscious or a gentle prompting from the Holy Spirit, my prayer remains the same:

“Lord, search every corner of my heart. Show me what doesn’t belong there. Give me the courage to let it go, and make me more like Jesus every day. I want nothing in my life that hides Your light from the people around me.”

Bible passages that shaped my thinking

• John 3:16–18 — Eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
• Romans 10:9–10 — Believing that God raised Jesus from the dead.
• 1 Corinthians 15:12–22 — Why Christ’s resurrection is essential.
• Acts 17:30–31 — God’s call to repentance and coming judgment.
• Luke 13:3 — “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
• Romans 12:2 — Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
• James 4:7–10 — Resist the devil, humble yourselves before God.
• Hebrews 12:1–2 — Lay aside every weight and the sin that entangles.
• Proverbs 4:23 — Guard your heart.
• Matthew 5:14–16 — You are the light of the world.
• Psalm 139:23–24 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart.”
• Psalm 51:10 — “Create in me a clean heart, O God.”
• Galatians 5:16–26 — Walking by the Spirit versus the works of the flesh.
• Ephesians 5:8–11 — Live as children of light.
• 1 John 1:5–9 — Walking in the light and confessing our sins.