Stay Clean

“For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” (Hebrews 10:10 NLT)

I have a special set of silverware that I use for guests. After every use, I hand wash each piece gently and dry them carefully so there are no water spots. Then I put them away in a special tray.  My everyday silverware is not as shiny or spotless. Daily use wears them out. They often get scratched up in the garbage disposal or bent out of shape in the dishwasher. Sometimes these utensils are even used for purposes that they are not meant for--to pry open paint cans, dislodge nails that are stuck in walls, skewer marshmallows over a flame, etc. Because of this, I have instructed my family members not to use the special silverware for their own agenda.  

We are made holy--set apart for God’s purposes. Yet, we are not put away--only to be used for special occasions. God uses us daily. Thus, we may get scratched up, worn out, dull, and rusty. It is nearly impossible to stay clean and lustrous under these conditions. However, we are sanctified through the sacrifice of Jesus once and for all. That means that God has made provisions for us to stay clean and useful on a daily basis. Yet, we must submit to His daily ministrations--allow Him to wash us gently and dry us carefully.

Many of us get dirty and damaged because of worldly entanglements.  We allow ourselves to be used for purposes that are not of God. We must be careful not to get involved in matters outside of God’s will.  Instead, we need to remain holy, set apart, clean, and ready to be of service to God at all times.