Different dirties

Today was one of those days.  One of those days folks like me kind of love.  And the kind of day others abhor.  It was one of those down and dirty days.  Yeah, dirty.  I washed the windows at the house.....and got dirty.  And stinky.  It was hot, so you know what I mean.  Then I got down on my knees and weeded.  Now we're talking not just sweaty, but sweaty dirty.  Man, I loved it.  Just like in younger years when I would change engines or transmissions in the garage by myself.  Now that was dirty.

The thing about dirty is what comes after.  A real nice cleaning shower.  Nothing better.  You see, even those that abhor the kind of dirty that I connect with actually get "dirty" at times as well, and they too have an appreciation for the cleaning that comes after.  So even though we're wired a bit differently, we all like the feeling that comes from being clean.  You're no different are you?

This isn't, however, about greasy, nasty, ground dirt, hot and sweaty dirty.  That's the kind you, and those around you, can see and smell.  This is about deceptive dirty.  Deceptive dirty is not readily visible.  It's the kind of dirty you feel inside when you are trying to convince yourself and others around you that all is well...that you are "fine".  And while it isn't anywhere near as evident as mud or grease smeared hands and smelly armpits, a discerning person will sense that you are deceptive dirty.

Being deceptive dirty stymies our spiritual growth.  It also creates tension within us.  And, if allowed to remain, it can begin to interfere with the relationships we have as men, husbands, and fathers.  And if allowed to remain long enough, it will be used as a tool by the evil one to separate us from a meaningful relationship with our God. 

So how do we clean ourselves of deceptive dirty?  Well, certainly not any kind of soap or cleaners, that's for sure.  The only cleansing agents for deceptive dirty that I know of (personal experience) are:

1. committed prayer, sharing it all with the Lord
2. forgiving yourself as you ask the Lord to forgive you
3. transparency with a strong Christian mentor
4. commitment to be consistently more open

You know, it's ok to get dirty once in a while. Even deceptive dirty happens.  We are imperfect humans.  Because of God's love for us, we have the availability of all different kinds of cleansing agents to take care of our dirtiness.