Only a shower.
Have you ever been sick for a prolonged amount of time? The kind where you're bed ridden, or stuck in the same sweats for a few days because you're first priority is fighting off whatever sickness is invading your body, and then you'll go exert your energy doing anything else?
If you haven't, let me just tell you now- it's awful. Mentally and physically. You go from the couch to the bed, to the bathroom, back to the couch, and maybe take a lap around the kitchen with the hopes of finally eating and stretching your legs. You take your meds on the hour, drink your fluids, take some vitamins or shots of vitamin C to kick this a little faster. You're stocked up on tissues. You're doing everything in your power to feel better. It's usually day 3 or 4 for me that I am finally starting to feel well enough to spend the energy I saved up to hop in the shower and just rid myself of the last few days.
It's only a shower. But even if I'm just as sick getting out as when I went in, something about that cleansing improves my entire well-being. That shower changed everything.
That, my friend, is EXACTLY what it's like to follow Jesus. Just like the shower that washes the sickness, germs, and funk away when you're sick; Jesus dying on the cross as a God-sent, human sacrifice cleanses YOU AND ME of our sins.
Just like when I'm sick and have to choose to get in the shower to cleanse myself of germs, I have to choose to accept that Jesus died for me to cleanse me of my sin.
If you are reading this and haven't given your life to Jesus, I welcome and encourage you to contact me so we can provide answers, guidance, and get you connected with people so you can make that choice TODAY and then be surrounded with people to help continue your walk.
If you're not new to The One Society, you're likely already a believer, and may be wondering how this pertains to you.
As believers, we know that the showers we take when we are sick are frequent; especially as we enter cold and flu season. And that the cleansing by Jesus dying on the cross is already done, just waiting for us to accept it; a one-and-done if you will. But there's still action to be taken after we accept that He alone is LORD and Savior, and then surrendering your life.
We aren't going to get baptized every time we experience spiritual growth, or when we notice we've matured in faith. We aren't going to change our "saved dates" every time we have a breakthrough. But after accepting, it's time to acknowledge and remember. It's time to choose to act in a way that reflects our accepting of Jesus as LORD, and honor that sacrifice made on our behalf.
The feeling of being clean physically almost always puts some pep in your step. But imagine the pep we would have if we as believers took a moment to put our spiritual cleansing at the front of minds, and lived like we did when we first surrendered. When we really had that fire for the Lord. (It's a bummer that we let that fire dim down, even come close to burning out at times. But we're human and we fall short. The only thing we can do is STAY IN THE WORD and glean from the best book ever written.)
Next time I get sick, I need to remember this and get in the shower ASAP. But next time I'm not hyper aware of the Lord's fire in me, I need to remember that the Father sent His son to die for me, some lowly sinner, to have my sins washed away, and that maybe it's a good idea to start acting a little more grateful, and giving the PRAISE He deserves and is oh-so-worthy of!
It's only a shower when you're sick. But when you're broken, hurting, lost, unseen, forgotten, alone, or any other feelings you'e experienced, that sacrifice made for YOU- the "shower"- is EVERYTHING.
I have yet to meet a believer who was pulled from the trenches that would say giving their life to the Lord was "eh- okay". I also have yet to meet a believer who was blessed with a less dark testimony who would say giving their life to the Lord was "eh- okay". It doesn't get easier, but it gets brighter. It doesn't mean sunshine and rainbows every day, but it means the Light is a lot more frequent than darkness. Hope enters in, and Heaven awaits.
Here's a few scriptures I found to be good reminders of the magnitude of the sacrifice on the Cross, and to always be praising.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleans our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14
God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. 1 Peter 1:2
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6
Praise the Lord, my soul and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:2-5
YOU are the 1 He left the 99 for. Now is the time to get clean with the Lord. Now is the time to PRAISE and GIVE THANKS for the beautiful gift you've been give and have accepted!