The Dirt on Dirt

Have you ever noticed that when your kids tell you they washed their hands, they could mean a variety of things. 1) they didn’t really look dirty enough to wash so I wiped them on my shirt; 2) I ran them under cold water and wiped the grime on the towel; 3) you only said it twice and I know I have until the third request before you start screaming; and on and on goes the rational of a child with regards to cleanliness.

Before we jumped to scolding the filthy child let’s think about their age and abilities. When they are infants, we are more careful to want their hands to be free of debris because we know that hand will likely be in their mouth at any given moment. We don’t expect them to keep their own hands clean, because they are not able.

Likewise, from a spiritual aspect, we don’t make the decision to keep our hands clean as an infant. We don’t understand the concept of germs and disease. Just as we are born into a world of germs and debris that we do not fear because we don’t know the danger, we are born in a sinful state that has a deadly impact, but we don't yet realize the danger, so we are protected from it by the love of the Father.

As toddlers, they can’t reach the sink by themselves… or we don’t want them to… so we offer assistance and allow them to feel the water running over their hands and help with the dispensing of soap and the process of scrubbing.

In the toddler phase of our spiritual life, someone teaches us the difference between right and wrong and guides us to the Father, so to speak, to be “cleansed” by His grace. He redirects us away from the dangerous “dirt” as we become students of the Word of God and that is where we begin to learn to avoid the germs of sinful behaviors that are unpleasant to God and to others. This is not a time to scream and scold and punish for every speck of dirt we see on the one who is learning, but gently provide direction and warm soapy water to clear away what is harmful.

Now they have reached pre-school and need to grow more independent. Maybe we allow them to do it on their own, but provide supervision to set the temperature of the water, make sure they use soap and keep most of the water in the sink.

Spiritually speaking, in the pre-school era of our journey, we are beginning to recognize the dirt on our hands and know that we should wash… maybe not so much because we don’t want to be dirty, but because we have been taught that there are germs, known as consequences, if we allow the grime to stay. We can, with some guidance and instruction, discover where the scrubbing needs to take place and learn to wash it down the drain.

By elementary school we can tell them to wash their hands and then inspect them to see if they were compliant and send them back as many times as needed until we get the desired result. Some are not as bothered by the dirt as we would like them to be and they need more direction, more incentive to get rid of the dirt.

As we grow and learn more of who God is and who we are, we begin to recognize the need for cleaning ourselves. We are uncomfortable with the dirt and want to get rid of it. But there are some that just enjoy the feel of the dirt and don’t want to be told to wash it off. Perhaps this is where we, as parents and leaders of those who seem to have spiritually stunted growth, need to be showing the privileges, the joy and the peace of our life without that grime rather than focusing on the sludge we see on them. If they are to leave the sin behind it will most likely be as a result of seeing that there is something that feels better. It isn’t likely to be because we judge and scold and push them to walk away from the dirt.

As pre-adult and adult years come, we wash our hands even when there is no visible sign of germs or dirt. Before we handle food. After we handle food. Before we hold a new baby. After we touch something we assume unknown people have handled. Typically, nobody has to tell us to wash unless we have an unknown smudge of mascara or brushed up against something unknowingly and can’t see the telltale spot.

As we become sensitive to the Spirit of God communicating with our soul. We feel a conviction and a desire for something better, richer, fuller in our lives. It is difficult to explain and can’t be seen or taught, but something that is experienced. It is often described as an unheard voice or an inner draw toward God. We don’t want sin to be clinging to us, so as soon as we recognize it, we repent and accept the gracious forgiveness made possible through Jesus’ willingness to take the sin of the world upon Himself in the crucifixion. We surround ourselves with the kinds of friends that will warn us about the mascara or the spinach in our teeth because they care about us, not because they are perfect or feel the need to judge, but because we are on a journey together to find the path God has for us.

Is it any wonder that we symbolize the beginning of our commitment to follow Jesus with the act of water baptism? It is the representation of a life made new; cleansed by the merciful washing of our loving God who made us to walk in sparkling glory with Him.

Where are you on this journey? Can you connect with any of the “ages” of the child of God? Are you still oblivious to the germs, the sin that brings death? Are you still enjoying the feel of the mud caked on your skin and happy to annoy others who want you to get cleaned up? Perhaps you like to play in the water, but not to become clean. Maybe you simply enjoy the feeling you get as the water runs over you. You like to comply and follow the rules because it feels good, but you really don’t know what it means to commit to walking with Jesus. Can you see the dirt that clings to you? Have you been to Jesus for His cleansing? Are your friends the kind of people that will help you see what is ungodly in your life? Are you ready to tell the world that you want to be rid of dirt and pursue living a godly life with your hand in the hand of the One who made you for a purpose?

Have you demonstrated that desire with baptism? Baptism is a ritual cleansing that is practiced to demonstrate that we desire to leave the “dirt” of our birth, let go of the desire to achieve our own selfish desires, and follow the way of the spotless One who was without sin: Jesus, the Son of God. It is a practice that is symbolic of a changed life. It is the follower’s way of visibly claiming that we are at a turning point in life and ready to listen to the guiding of the Spirit of God and follow as He leads. Just like the washing of hands… it doesn’t keep you clean forever. You will still look at yourself at times and wonder how you got so dirty again. However, it is in learning to walk with Jesus that you will find yourself free from the deadly germs and disease that lead to death.