"He Who Has Clean Hands"--Must Get Them Dirty First

"Who shall stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart."

But before we can have clean hands we must be willing to get them dirty.

Somebody has to do the dirty work.

When the church needs painted and remodeled, somebody has to peel the wall paper and take down the coat rack and bulletin board and move the pews and sweep the debris.

It would be more fun to arrange flowers.

Or take naps with your pets.

Or stand outside the church watching snow blow off the Peak.

But someone has to cover things with plastic and tear down old parts behind the platform that need to be remodeled.

Somebody (like Justin Stanton) has to cover the ceiling fans before the paint gets sprayed.

Someone (like Rose and Timmy) has to tape off the window so the trim can be painted.

Someone has to tape plastic and work behind the scenes...

where no one notices or rings bells or blows trumpets.

Someone has to shovel up the sawdust and insulation and old slats and mess and trash that collects in the remodeling,

all those boards with nails sticking out of them

and all the pile of choking dust--

without even a picture getting taken of them.
Would that person be you?

Or would you rather just stand by your window dreaming about the good old days

or the days you hope to have in the future where you don't have to do

humble, menial drudgery like that?

Being a white collar worker is nice.

Having lily white hands is nice.
No dirty finger nails. No callouses. No scrapes and cuts.

But what about the dirty work?

God called in the temple, "Who will go for us? Who will speak to this people?"

And Isaiah bemoaned his unclean lips which God then made clean. 

But sometimes God calls, "Who will stay for us? Who will stay and help

 in your own home 

and in your own church

and in your own difficult place?
Who will get your hands dirty?"

When He thus calls, do we bemoan our lily white hands?

  hands that are too clean to tape protective plastic,

 too persnickety to scrub toilets or empty garbage or move ladders,

to stoop and pick up trash,

 or wrestle with the issues created by a decision to remodel and paint?

 Too clean to work the dough,

or clean the stables or do the chores of a friend,

or clean out the corners of our own basements or garages?
Too selfish to sacrifice our own pleasure for meeting the needs of God's kingdom?
Too classy to put on gloves and take care of the mess that no one else wants to pick up?
Are our hands too clean for God to use?

I admit I don't like dirty work.

But there is dignity in dirty work.
Someone has to do it.

So I have found a solution.

Wear gloves.