“I haven’t been feeling well lately.” Rose sighed and sank
back into her chair. Picking up a nearly empty teacup with the teabag tag hanging
over the edge, she took a sip of tepid liquid.
“Would you like me to brew you a fresh cup of tea?” I asked.
“Oh, you can just pour more hot water in this cup,” Rose
said, handing it to me. “Would you put in a little milk, please?”
In the kitchen, I found a hint as to why Rose might not be
feeling well. Strewn across the counter were dishes crusted with
partially-eaten food. The sink held badly stained teacups with sugar
crystalized in the bottom. When I tried to rinse the one Rose had given me, the
build-up of tea deposits looked like the rings of a cut tree. How long had it
been since anyone thoroughly scrubbed Rose’s dishes?
I had recently read that the grimy tea residue left in a cup,
especially if you’ve added milk, can end up being a haven for bacteria. It’s
important to empty the cup and wash it thoroughly. From the looks of things,
Rose hadn’t been doing that. No wonder her health was suffering.
Similarly, our spiritual health can suffer when we allow sin
to build up. A “little white lie” creates the need for another and another
until our word is untrustworthy. Repeatedly criticizing someone can lead to
resentment and bitterness that will rear up in the heat of an argument. Neglecting
to read our Bibles or pray starves us of the spiritual nourishment we need to
maintain a healthy relationship with Jesus.
Like the germy inside of Rose’s tea cup, that needed washed
and bleached, we need to be pardoned and cleansed from all wrongdoing. 1 John
1:9 says if we confess our sins to God, he will do exactly that—forgive us our
sins and purify us from all our transgressions.
What can we do to help maintain spiritual health?
- James 4:7 teaches, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.”
- 2 Tim. 2:19 says, “Whoever says that he belongs to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing.”
- Philippians 4:8 admonishes, “Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.”
Be encouraged!
©2018 Pamela D. Williams
