Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Matthew 23:26, NKJV
Last week I left with the promise of a deeper dive, this is still my intention, but I do not know where to start. My last post felt forced, and I was not entirely happy with it; there was more to say, but I could not unjumble my thoughts. As I write about being consistent, accountable, and intentional, I struggle with the layers of shame, bad habits, and self-destructive patterns to whittle through, but God.
The other morning, God reminded me to take my time in the strangest of ways. It was during my prayer and reflection after reading my morning devotion that I started thinking about the dark film often left inside my coffee mug coming out of the dishwasher. As I thought about running a sponge or scrub brush inside the mug first, I realized that my mind had wandered off, or had it?
Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees when He told them to clean the inside of the cup. In this metaphorical demonstration, Jesus was not only addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, with their high expectations and focus on appearances. He was pointing out that they did not take their time. They may have known scripture, but they did not take the time to understand it. If they had, they would have recognized Jesus and glorified Him rather than condemning Him.
I too need to take time, time to clean the inside of the cup, time to memorize scripture, time to hear the Holy Spirit speak. In this microwave culture of instant gratification, we want instant change. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart,” (Galatians 6:9). Change takes time, bad habits are created over time, and it takes time to undo and unlearn them as we build stronger, better habits.
Consistency is where I am at with these habits, pushing through and moving forward even when my writing is not up to par. I was frustrated and struggling when I was building this site, I still do not know how to add the subscribe button. Thankfully, Scott reminded me that I needed to start somewhere, he shared how Youtubers often start with poor quality videos, but through patient endurance, the quality improves. So, as I remain consistent, I hope to look back a year from now and see the growth in the quality of my posts and in the engagement of my readers.
This will not happen without accountability, it is just too easy to say, “I tried,” “I’m done,” “it’s too hard.” While I have felt this way often, accountability does not make provisions to throw in the towel. It drives us to keep going through the hills and valleys. Again, I am reminded of my conversation with Jenny and how we like the Pharisees put too many expectations on ourselves. We may need to start slow; the important thing is that we start.
Intentionality brings it altogether as we purpose in our hearts to not go through the motions of life but put thought and prayer into every word we say, every choice we make, and every action we take. To follow through even when we don’t feel like it, always working toward the next right choice. These characteristics live together, they mesh and overlap, you cannot achieve one without another.
Each of these traits plays a role in memorizing scripture, just as scripture plays a role in developing these traits. “Therefore, you shall lay up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes,” (Deuteronomy 11:18.) Scripture is where character development was created, it is the handbook for life.
As I clean the inside of the cup, I will strive to be consistent, attain accountability, live intentionally, and memorize scripture – I know that over time my resolve will strengthen, and these practices will grow into the essence of who I am. If it feels like you have been going through the motions of life start small. What is one habit you can change today? Or one bible verse you can memorize?
I hope you will share both your successes and struggles so that we can celebrate together and lift one another up in prayer and encouragement. God bless you, my friends!