The other day we had some folks over. Whenever we plan to do this I know the house has to be spic and span—not sure what that even means to the rest of you, but growing up that meant that we needed to get the house clean enough to show—as in, show for sale.
No easy task.
Now when my wife, Michelle decides we need to tidy up you can just see me emotionally and physically deflate. Anyone who knows me realizes that I am about to enter the tunnel of chaos.
The Gauntlet of Gruel
The
The Tube of Torture
The Passageway of Persecution
The Whirlpool of Whipping
The Burrow of Beatings…
Yep, makes no difference how you spin it, it’s a scary, bad place!
Why?
Because no matter how hard I try—no matter how thoroughly I clean, my definition of clean is not hers. In the end, no matter the effort, I know I will still hear the following fateful words,
“What a mess! Ok, this place is still a disaster, I guess we’ll just have to hope they don’t notice.”
What?! A disaster? After hours of hard labor? After everything…a disaster? We had to clean all day just to qualify for “mess status?”
But alas, that is the circle of life at the Singleton home. I’ve learned to just go with the flow.
Or else.
But I feel sorry for people who spend their lives under the false notion that they can be good enough to earn salvation status. I mean, it’s a waste of effort when you consider the bar. And, just in case you haven’t considered it lately, it still hovers in the same exact position it was set at with Adam and Eve’s mess up. Right at…
PERFECT
In order to be good enough to earn heaven we have to be completely without sin.
Good luck with that. Ain’t gonna happen.
In the end—should that be your life’s course, you will find out you worked your whole life just to achieve hell status.
In fact, God’s Word addresses this very thing here in Romans 3:19–20,
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Man! I sure am glad I can really on Christ’s sacrifice for my sins. Because of Him, though I may look messed up to everyone else, I’m clean on the inside before God!