Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
–Romans 12:1
Several of my family members and friends lost their homes in the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri, USA, a few years ago.
In the hours following, we combed through the rubble trying to find anything that might be salvageable.
We soon learned, however, that even though something looked okay (other than being rain-soaked), that didn’t mean it was. More often than not, the things we were trying to salvage were filled with minute particles of insulation or there was moisture trapped inside that would never be able to dry out. Instead, mold and mildew would grow. We wouldn’t be able to see it, we were told, but we would know it was there when the allergic reactions and unexplained illnesses started showing up.
This meant that everything we wanted to keep had to go through a variety of cleaning processes. A simple washing off of the obvious wouldn’t do. Everything had to be thoroughly deep-cleaned from the inside out.
The same is true with you and me when we accept Christ as our Savior. We have to continually work to keep our bodies deep-cleaned from the inside out so the Holy Spirit has a safe, healthy, and joy-filled home in which to live.
Prayer
Dear God, Please place on my heart the desire to keep my house clean for Your Spirit, so I can enjoy a deep, personal relationship with You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Reflection
How well does my outer appearance and the impressions I make on people reflect who I am on the inside?