Dirty Christianity

Have you ever driven a car with a dirty windshield? Have you ever run out of wiper fluid and tried to work around refilling it? Im convinced that all of us have some sort of trick to get around it. We might throw snow on a dirty windshield or wash it off when we get gas instead of refilling the wiper fluid. We are secretly joyful when it rains because that means we wont have to wash our car or refill the fluid. Some might just drive with it dirty. I come from a state where it snows and many of us will not brush all the snow off before we start driving. Instead we will wait for the wind to blow it off or the defroster to melt it.

How long would it really take to open the hood, fill the reservoir with wiper fluid, and go on our merry way? Honestly, about all of 3 minutes. Why, then, dont we take the time to tend to the little detail of filling our wiper fluid up? After all, its dangerous do drive with a dirty or covered windshield and in the long run, refilling the tank could save our lives and the lives of others around us. Even with all of that in mind, many of us still put it off, saving it for another day. It seems like just another chore or duty that we really dont feel like doing.

Most people don't consider their windshield a very big deal, and they may be fortunate enough to never have to reckon with the consequences of not keeping it clean. However, they will not be able to do the same thing with their walk with Christ. You see, many of us feel that we can get away with a generic or even dirty Christianity. We try to keep our spiritual windshield just clean enough so that we can see out of it. We do the bare minimum to get by. We know that we should do more, but we keep putting it off until tomorrow, not realizing that we may not have another tomorrow. We use all sorts of different tricks. How are you doing in your walk? Oh, well I went to church on Sunday. I read my Bible almost every day. Im in a Bible study. Im a leader in this, or I attend that. I gave my 10 percent.

Come on. Let's get real and be honest with ourselves. We waste more effort dancing around the question than it would take to face the answer. How are you doing in your walk? Im doing just enough to convince others and myself that Im doing a good job. Ive got my God fix for the day or the week, so Im good.

Clean your windshield. Refill your wiper fluid.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. - Joshua 1:8

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. -Ephesians 6:13-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - I Thessalonians 5:16-18

He answered: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself. " - Luke 10:27