Are The Dishes Clean Or Dirty

"Woe to you, Pharisees, and you religious leaders-hypocrites! You are so careful to polish the outside of the cup, but the inside is foul with extortion and greed. Blind Pharisees! First cleanse the inside of the cup, and then the whole cup will be clean." Matthew 23:25-26 TLB

Good Morning Girlfriends:

Almost on a daily basis this question is asked, "Are the dishes clean or dirty," so they know whether they can put a dirty cup or dish in the dishwasher. I made the comment that I was going to have to make a magnet to put on the front saying whether the dishes were clean or dirty, that way people wouldn't have to ask me, we will see how well that works.

Whenever we have a big meal, like at Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter, the dishes are all piled in the dishwasher so that there is less that has to be washed by hand, it was a good idea, so I thought. As I take the dishes out of the dishwasher, there have been many times that I have found the dishes are not coming clean, so I have wash them by hand anyway. It's not like the dishes were piled on top of each other, so it has to be the soap, or the dishwasher was not put on for an extended washing time. sometimes washing the dishes by hand may take longer, but they seem to come out cleaner because they are washed one at a time.

Girlfriends, isn't that sort of like our lives, things can get piled up so easy over the years. There is always life's disappointments, unresolved situations, unforgiveness towards someone, bitterness that stacks up when it's held onto after so many years. How about the other things that we may still do in secret, such as smoking, drinking, going places that we shouldn't, hanging around not so great of people, these are all things that God wants us to get cleaned up.

Even though we take a bath or have a shower, that is wonderful, we are scrubbing all the dirt off of the outside of our bodies and making ourselves smell good, but what is more important to God is that we get all the other things cleaned up as I mentioned above. There is a scripture that says man looks at the outside but God looks at the heart, found in 1 Samuel 16:7. God is more interested in our heart and the dirt that is on the inside of us, that's why He said in the second part of our key verse, first cleanse the inside of the cup then the whole cup will be clean.

When we give our heart to the Lord and ask Him to help clean us up from all things that we have done or allowed in our lives, that is when we will see a change taking place. We will see things changing in us, like our hearts will soften, we will feel more love for other people growing inside of us. We tend to see the world in a whole new light, more beautiful, things we didn't even see before. As we continue over time to let God work in our heart, we will have a greater compassion towards others, we have more of a desire to help others, we become more joyful inside. There are times that we try to help others in life, to get to be where we are, so they can experience what we have, but it is always up to each individual whether they want it or not, we can not force them to change., but what we can do is allow God to continue to work on us so that we will be pure and holy before Him, as we are allowing Him to clean up the inside of us. As we do, our outside will change as well, our talk will become different, we let go of the dirty words that once came out of our mouths, the cigarettes will go, the drinking will go, the partying will go, the people we once hung around with may change, the places we go will change. These are all the things that changes as we allow God to clean the inside of us, then the outside gets cleaned up too.

Let's Pray,

Father God, I thank you for each one who is reading this today, and as they surrender their lives to you and allow you to clean up all the hurts, disappointments, anger, hatred, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, greed, selfishness, controlling ways, wrong thoughts, whatever it may be, that each one would feel the cleansing and the change that is taking place right now on the inside of them as they are open to you for their own personal, one on one heart cleansing. Lord I thank you for the amazing transformation that is taking place right now as we speak, and that they will feel the warmth of your love as it courses through the very depths of their souls, whether it is for the very first time to experience for a coming back to get a re-washing, it doesn't matter. I thank you for each life that will be changed from this day forward as they see YOU, life and other people in a new way, in Jesus Mighty name, Amen.

Be blessed sweet girlfriends, as you are now washed clean inside and out. Pass the blessings on to others.