Wash Me

When our daughters were little, we were renovating our bathrooms and didn't have a bathtub for a while. So, we ended up using our walk-in shower for their baths. Interestingly, when we went on vacation, the girls were more excited about taking a bath than swimming in the pool. It felt like ages, but we finally installed a nice big soaking tub. Now, they were fighting for a turn to use it. Our one daughter surprised us, however. She wasn't too fond of it. The only way to get her to take a bath was by having a shower first. She'd have a nice, long shower and clean up, and only then would she take a soak in the bath. I often tease her that she might as well skip the bath at that point.

Many believers share the same mindset as our daughter. They find themselves in a similar struggle, trying to better themselves and their behavior before initiating a relationship with Christ. They work tirelessly to change their sinful desires and rid themselves of unhealthy habits. Somewhat like our daughter, they try to get cleaned up before going for a clean-up. But it’s only Christ who can give them a good cleanse and bring about real, lasting change. It’s a cleansing journey that only he can take them on.  

Peter of the Bible also fell into the trap of thinking he could do it on his own. We find Jesus in John 13 washing his disciples' feet. When he approached Peter, Peter objected, saying, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?"... "No," said Peter, "You shall never wash my feet." In other words, I can do this on my own. Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” (John 13:6-9)