Lick the bowl squeaky clean.
Did you like licking the bowl? My morning devotion of Jesus’ warning to the religious folks to clean the inside of their cup reminded of the times when I was a kid how my brother and I would position ourselves to be first in line to grab the bowl that Mom used to mix a chocolate cake. It was great to lick the leftover chocolate icing from inside the bowl and the mixing prongs. I would clean the inside until it sparkled and was left squeaky clean.
Funny, when it comes to my heart, I am not always so eager to clean the "inside". I definitely know that is where my true freedom and joy comes from, but for some reason it is often easier to focus on the outside of my cup or even better, the inside of your cup.
I wonder why it is so easy to focus on others rather than ourselves? Do you ever do that? Wonder why we put so much emphasis on outward appearances than we do "inward" appearances? Perhaps the inside of our hearts leaves a bad taste in our mouths, unlike the chocolate icing so it remains less than squeaky clean.
Anne Lamott in her book Traveling Mercies says, "We can’t read other people’s hearts. We just know what is in our own, what wrongs we are capable of, and that knowledge is terrible enough."
For whatever reason, it seems that one needs an enemy or another to focus on; it seems as though many seek out the other to condemn all in the name of love—all in the name of purity, like licking the bowl until it is squeaky clean. Perhaps if we can focus on another person we can justify our existence and actions or won't have to taste the bitterness of our own hearts.
As long as our focus and attention are on our some one else we never have to take a serious look at ourselves for we can spend our energy crucifying our enemy or attempting to get our enemy to conform to our way of thinking. Augustine once preached a sermon about loving one another. He said, "The thing that is admired by all is practiced by so few."
I just wonder what my life would look like if I was as eager the lick the bowl of my heart like I was the bowl with chocolate icing.
6 Comments:
"As long as our focus and attention are on our some one else we never have to take a serious look at ourselves"
So true!
Josue
www.sonrie.org
I'm afraid that comparison is almost totally unavoidable as long as we're to occupy this tent of flesh. That wouldn't be such a bad thing if it stopped there, but it doesn't. We (I) use it for justification of our (my) own short-comings or successes. I'm better than that or I'm not because of x, y, z...
I hate myself because of this and if I'll allow myself to be truly honest, I usually reap the bitter harvest of pride, jealosy or name your sin here, from the seeds sown in my own discontent.
If we spend enough time with the Savior, He has a way of not letting us rest within this dirty cup.
This is SO true. If each of us would just spend a little more time cleaning up our own back yard! I started NA a couple of weeks ago and this here is the central thing I have learned. I can pontificate on my blog like nobody's business, but interestingly have no wise words of practical wisdom to share in the meeting! Needless to say, I have changed directions.
Huh...this is, like, the third time I've received this not-so-gentle nudge both about the inner/outer man and about dealing with my own trash before anyone else's.
The first time I got it was reading my own journal - and realizing how a situation I'm in right *now* is so similar to other spiritual-Dudley-DoRight moments, when I hear *my own mouth* saying, "I'll save you, Nell!"
The second was in talking after a meeting this morning... and this makes three. Perfect Trinity, eh?
Reminds me of the old adage..."if one man calls you an ass, pay him no mind. If three men call you an ass, get yourself a saddle."
The flip side of this coin, of course, is when the unmanageability in my own life is not entirely of my own making. Then, being of service to others gets me out of my own self-centeredness and into what I can do for others. I just have to realize that my motivations for these adventures are rarely as pure as I'd like to paint them. But then, what part of me *is* that pure?
Thanks for being the "wind of the Spirit," pricking my conscience. Not that I'm enjoying it, of course...but I rarely *do* when uncomfortable truth must be confronted, change and growth is required.
i have shared a few of your very insightful thoughts with others . . . they sure speak to my own heart!!! it's funny, the things you say are "known" to me, but the way you say them really "speaks" to me . . . keep listening to the Voice that dictates what you write in your blog . . . it is heard . . .
Thank you for your comment on my blog - and I am really enjoying reading yours! It's being passed on as I speak to other thoughtful Christians.
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