We’re movin’ on toward maturity!
I’m using
up the WATERMELON SMILE Moisturizing Body Wash in my shower these days. It’s labeled “For
KIDS” and is in a brilliant green and chartreuse plastic bottle with Sponge Bob
pictured on the front. All this is intended to make clean up attractive to
children. The stuff is sweet scented, almost smells like bubble gum. But I guess
I can endure that. I don’t want to waste it. It’s leftover from when my
grandson used it.
When 12
year old grandson Jeffrey visits now, he uses SPORT Shower Gel with the label
shouting “Mean and Clean.” It’s in a jet black plastic easy-grip bottle with a battleship
gray and silver top. The matching soap is also battleship gray and certainly strongly
scented for manly noses.
Seems like
just yesterday Jeffrey was eager to plunge into grandma’s whirlpool bathtub and
fill it with that purple HAWAIIAN BLAST foaming bubble bath and disappear in
its depths to pretend he was Jaws.
The Apostle
Paul described the normal and expected maturing process with a spiritual spin. “When
I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1 Cor. 13:11) My
grandson still has a ways to go to reach full manhood, but he is definitely on
the way. How he cleans up is a symbol of his progress.
We anticipate
children to act like children and our expectations are proportionate. We know
that we will have to remind children repeatedly to wash up. There seems to be a
natural avoidance to soap and water! Supervision seems to go on forever before
they take over with their own motivation. Spiritually we should grow up in
relation to personal cleansing which is the holiness to which God draws us.
When we do soil our spirits, we need to know how to get rid of sin’s
contamination and stench through confession, repentance, and the beautiful and
efficacious channels the Church provides for our reconciliation.
It’s no
longer necessary to plead with and nag this nearly-teen young man to wash up.
He gladly heads for the shower, especially after his sports workout. Big time progress!
May all of God’s growing children of whatever age follow suit. It takes light
to reveal our spiritual spots and blemishes. Let us be quick to clean up and
walk in the Light as Jesus provides it.
The Apostle Paul reveals his heart
with his instruction from 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Therefore, having these promises,
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” This is expanded by the Apostle John
in his first epistle, chapter one, verses seven through nine: “…the blood of
Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are
deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”
Some of us
who are more mature in years and in the Christian faith might do well to continue
using that spiritual WATERMELON SMILE moisturizing wash if we are still behaving
in a childish manner. God expects us to be examples of believers and live godly
in Christ Jesus. That means to grow up in all ways unto the Lord. NO EXCUSE
SLIPS ISSUED TO THOSE IN ADVANCING YEARS!
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