The other day when I was in the shower, I noticed that the water wasn’t draining well. I clean the shower regularly and everything looked good – so, I shouldn’t have been standing in water – right? So that night (when I thought of it again!), I pried up the shiny drain cover, and let’s just say, “Oh, my!” I don’t see how any water was getting through at all! It was disgusting! But, I cleaned it out, and yesterday – it drained perfectly once again. It was amazing! This got me to thinking about how we often “put on a happy face” on the outside, but inside – we’re a mess! We just cover it up well. It may be that we struggle with depression or some sort of addiction. We might smile on the outside, but we are holding a grudge against someone or are eaten up with envy on the inside – “Why do they have it and I don’t?”
My Friends, do you need to “do some cleaning” on the inside? Do you need to “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8a). Are you willing to “let go, and let God” take control of your life? We think we can “do it on our own.” We think – “Do you know what that person said to me? I’ll never forgive them!” But Jesus said, “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15b). Are you going to let something that happened years ago keep you out of heaven?
We are told in I Samuel 16:7, “for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” James encouraged us to “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded” (James 4:8b). We must clean the outside, but many times, the problem isn’t what others can see – it’s within us. It’s a heart thing! Paul told the church at Corinth, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicator, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Paul added in Galations 5:20-21, “Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Hatred, jealousy, selfish ambitions – these are all “heart problems” that can keep us out of heaven!
The wonderful thing is that we can do something about it – if we only will. For Paul goes on to say, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:11). You can clean the inside to sparkle like the outside! And once the inside is clean, like my drain – life will be amazing! Simply blessed, Courtney
Your words are so close to home and my heart. Truly amazing Courtney as always ❤️