Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

Is your spirit unclean and are you worn down by sin? Let God cleanse you!

Every night before I go to bed, I reluctantly truck my way into the bathroom and prepare for what seems as if it will be the biggest task…washing off my makeup. No matter how tired I am, I do it because I know that without doing it; I place my skin in a very jeopardizing situation. I remove my eye makeup, wet my face, lather and turn on my facial cleansing brush, rinse, and pat dry. Once I am finished that, I double check for any extra makeup that I may have missed. I then go over my face with a cotton ball dipped in an astringent and then I finally moisturize. Ultimately, what once seemed so dreadful to me turns into the most refreshing part of my night. This process reminds me very much of the one that we go through in order for God to wash us of our sins.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”  (1 John 1:7 ESV)

We must be willing to allow God to cleanse us of all of the dirt, guilt, filth, and shame that comes with being a sinner. Receive the conviction, not the condemnation. Should we feel bad when we sin and turn against God? Yes! Should we believe that our weaknesses and struggles will result in a distant God and unforgiveness toward us? Absolutely not! If we allow God the chance to purify us and to get to the root of the issues in our lives, He can prevent us from placing ourselves in even more jeopardizing situations. We have to walk in the light of Christ and let God in! He will cleanse us, cover us more than once, and polish us up to make sure that we feel refreshed and touched by Him. He is the answer!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV)

All we have to do is open our mouths to Him and repent. Let God know that what we seek is His forgiveness and that we need Him to cleanse us. We need a cleansing that only He can offer. When we ask God to cleanse us, He will transform our minds, mold our hearts, and shape our will to look like His. His internal cleansing will then overflow to the external and our light will begin to shine!

We have to remember that even though it may seem dreadful at first, allowing God to cleanse us will lead us to be restored, renewed, and more importantly, refreshed. Don’t dwell in your filth, go to God and let Him cleanse you today!

Rochelle Burnley is a queen of all trades. She loves the Lord and desires to spread His love and light to everyone that she is blessed to touch. A producer by profession, she intends to use her gift of storytelling to spread the good news and to represent Christ. A proud Baltimore native, Rochelle leaves trails of purple along her life's journey. She is a chocolate connoisseur; as well as a lover of good movies, music, books, and food. She takes the phrase "shop until you drop" seriously. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Communications from Hampton University and is currently enrolled in The New School for an M.S. in Media Management.

[Photo: Brennen Creative Commons]