I begin my day almost every morning with a neat and clean kitchen. As the day goes by, with every meal it gets messier. In order to keep the slab clean, I often dump all the used vessels into the sink and wash them when I find time post lunch. You look at my sink, it’s really messy at times. Yet at the end of the day, it’s clean and neat agaThe wet waste bin also looks quite messy with all left over food and vegetable peel. We have three bins at home one for wet waste, one for dry waste and one for diapers and yes they all look messy and unpleasant. Yet I wonder how clean and hygienic my home would be without these bins!! These bins do gradually get dumped elsewhere yet imagine if I never had these bins to clean up the mess of my home. Mess is a very unlike term. We all like order and neatness in our lives. Yet often and most likely always, if we desire a clean and neat environment something within that home has to get messy for a while. 

I remember years ago a brother had shared about how we all love to cuddle and play with young children especially a toddler. The youth and teenagers take turn to carry a toddler yet as soon as he soils his diaper the first thing they call for is his parents!! Why?? No one wants that mess. And once we clean up the child, they would play with the child again. Imagine a child with his soiled diapers running around. He might be the cutest child in the town yet not many would stoop down and cuddle him. Only a parent owns the genuine care of cleaning up a child to keep him smiling and cheerful and clean…!! So a mess is unwanted at times and only a person who genuinely cares for the other person is willing to clean the mess. 

What about the way we fellowship with others! Yes I too would love to be in a gathering of happy – dappy giggly laughter. Yet do I shun the fellowship when it goes too deep. Bible says the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Do I enjoy a fellowship wherein my heart is exposed and things get messy? Or am I content to know about only the Merciful Savior and not the same Savior Who had taken a whip to chase the moneychangers out of the temple of God?

It’s time we are willing to get a little messy for the real deep cleaning to happen. Why are our relationships so fragile these days? Because we run away from getting messy. Why don’t we trust our Heavenly Father that nothing can get out of proportion if we truly love God and if our attitude is to win the other person to Christ. Let’s choose which is more glorious mere peace or True fellowship. Sadly we are scared of loosing our reputation as a gentle person. And so we continue to live in dead, lifeless relationships with people in our families and church. This doesn’t have to be so. Let’s seek God to be genuine in our love towards Him and towards each other. 

Bible says so if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Mathew 5:23-24

Having written this, let’s be gracious to the person who ever burdens his heart before us. Let’s be patient to every cry and if there is any say even against us let’s remember the words of David in the portion of the Bible (2 Samuel 16) that God has allowed this man to speak this way. God works and will work all things for our good if we truly love Him and are called according to His purpose. If we believe in this let’s fear no messy talk. 

Let’s pursue a clean heart and a contrite Spirit with all our heart, living before the face of God and not men.