My thoughts went
to weird places today: I was
wondering what would happen if I decided to completely stop bathing. How long would it take for people to see my
general grimy-ness and give disgusted looks?
How long before my family complained about the odor exuding from my
body? How long would it take for my two teenagers
to pretend they didn't know me in public- or would they just tell everyone I'd
gone crazy?
As I contemplated bathing rituals in North America I thought of the great variance in
timing: once or twice a week are now uncommon.
More frequently timing is every other day or once a day. Occasionally there is a person who will
shower two or more times a day. What is
it that determines our timing? Basically
how quickly we get dirty from being out in the world doing what we need to do and
how soon we 'feel' dirty.
Most of us are very careful to remain
clean for our spouses, kids, co-workers, and anyone else who will notice
us. We buy bath gloves, special soaps,
shampoos and conditioners, shavers to remove unwanted hair, and toothbrushes to
keep our teeth shiny and breath fresh. We
usually go fair amounts of effort to make sure we are clean and look good, at
least before we go out in public.
But do we
go to the same effort to ensure we are clean/ look good on the inside for God?
Man may judge based on looks, but God
does not, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the
heart.” (1Sm. 16:7 ESV) God isn’t so
concerned about our outward appearance (or smell) but our inward one. Is our heart (feelings, will, intellect,
man’s center) clean, does it look and smell good or is it dirty, grimy or
smelly from doing our thing in the world and because we just can’t stop
sinning? If so, what do we do about
that; do we wash ourselves?
…First clean the inside of the cup, so that its
outside may also be clean. Mt. 23:26
Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me. Ps. 51:7,10
(enter through the veil) let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
and our
bodies having been washed with pure water. Heb. 10:22
It is interesting to note that John the
Baptist preached repentance (Lk. 3:3; Mr. 1:4) for hearts to be ready and open
for Jesus so that people would draw near to Him (Jm. 4:8; Heb. 10:22). We likewise need to repent (commanded by God
Ac. 17:30)
so our hearts are ready to draw near to Him, so that we may be forgive- made
clean again. If God is as the refining purifier
(Mal. 3:3; Heb. 12:29), the closer we get to Him, the more we will be
refined (1Pt. 1:7; Is. 48:10) and come out as gold (Job. 23:10).
I confessed my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not
hidden. I said, I will confess my transgression to Jehovah; and You forgave the
iniquity of my sin. Selah. Ps. 32:5
…let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so
easily besets us… Heb. 12:1
that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the Word, Eph. 5:26
…Cleanse me from hidden sin. Ps. 19:12
…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from
all sin… If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jh. 1:7,9
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!!!
Thank You Lord!!!