I'm coming down from a GREAT Father's Day weekend with a realization: my nine-yr-old son is allergic to bathing.
This is just a hypothesis at this point, and I'm going to need to do some experiments to confirm my speculation, but it seems logical when I examine the circumstances. I've known for years that the bathing process wasn't an enjoyable one in our house for either of the children. However, with the boy, we often witness a near violent reaction to the mere mention of a shower. Even inquiries regarding sweat-producing activities in which he may have participated throughout the day routinely produce a fit, where he is willing to risk punishment just to delay the soap/scrub/rinse/repeat experience for mere seconds. Although I've never noticed hives, seen swollen, bloodshot eyes, or heard gratuitous sneezing, I'm convinced I'm dealing with an allergy...and it's so pervasive, it's even painful for him to wash his hands.
Turns out he's not the only one with a cleanliness problem, though. We all have the problem, and it's a real stumbling block for us if we're looking to live a humble life. In James 4:8, James says, "Wash your hands, you sinners..." (I love that about James, BTW - he's not given to flowery language to make his point, so it's easy for a dope like me to understand.). To really get a firm grasp of this, it's helpful to get a little background into Jewish culture and the Old Law.
Lev. 10:10 is a great verse to get a handle on what God wanted the Israelites to understand about purity:
"You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean".
For the Jewish people, being holy meant being "clean". According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "...the idea of cleanness means the correct ordering of one's daily routine so that he may approach the holy God without danger." Furthermore, under the old law, if you became 'unclean', you couldn't come before God without going through a purification process. This process always included a ceremonial washing of some sort, which symbolized obedience to God and denoted a successful completion of the purification process.
Even though Jesus fulfilled the old law and gave humanity the opportunity to approach God directly, James knew his readers would still understand that becoming "unclean" through sin would separate them from God. Through a symbolic command, James was telling them they need to purify themselves and demonstrate their obedience to God.
We're getting our hands dirty every day by making the choices we make - whether it's what we choose to think about, what we choose to say, or what we choose to do. Sinning comes down to a choice...serve God, or serve ourselves. If we're choosing ourselves, we're no longer submitting to God and yielding to His will for our lives. This is pride, which puts us in opposition to God. You see where this is going? Not good. (If you want more on this, check out "Tapping Out" and "Tapping Out...Again".)
By exercising the self-control necessary to stop sinning, we're submitting...and living more humbly. In other words, we need to stop getting our hands dirty, and wash 'em up. When we do, we're in a position to experience some wonderful things. In Psalm 24:3-4, David writes,
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..."
In 2 Sam. 22:21-25, David sings:
"The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight."
Now, I will admit that I'm not comfortable echoing David's claims about being blameless and all that; that's between him and God. Regardless, David recognized the blessings God poured out on him because of his willingness to continually seek purity and cleanliness. I've got to believe we've got blessings in store for us as well if we commit to doing the same thing.
Now if I could just get my boy to seek a bath...
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