Theological Musings of a Clean Freak

I cleaned my bathroom today. Not just the usual weekend wipe the counters, vacuum the tub and polish the mirror, but a full, top-to-bottom, re-organise and scrub everything. It felt great! Now it's not just my inner clean freak that's saying this, I truly believe that creating a clutter-free, squeaky-clean environment has a positive effect on your mood. Being free from dust, grime and disorder sets your mind at ease and makes you a calmer and happier person.  

I think confession's a bit like cleaning your bathroom. Confession IS spiritual cleaning, getting rid of all the dust and grime and sin that's accumulated on your soul since you last cleaned it. As I always feel rather stressed, unclean and unhappy when my environment is in a state of disarray, so too do I feel awful when I haven't been to confession in a while. Sure you can't see the dust and soap scum building up on your soul like you can on your sink, but you begin to feel further and further away from that humbling state of cleanliness and holiness. I don't know about the rest of the world, but if I go too long without cleaning either my sink or my soul, I feel awful. 

I'm not suggesting that Spray 'n' Wipe is on par with confession (though cleanliness is next to Godliness...). Jesus is incredible. He's like the best cleaning solution ever. Spray 'n' Wipe? No way: Our Lord's blood makes us cleaner, holier, purer and happier than anything else. Jesus has forgiven us our dust and grime and sin. He's let us live a new life, free from our iniquities, so very many times in our lives. If we have the time to let the Lord into our lives, He'll make us clean again every time we ask forgiveness. He won't just give us a half-hearted weekend wipe-off, He'll cleanse us from every iniquity we entrust to Him. It's so incredible!!!!

For if we confess our sins, He who is faithful and righteous will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all iniquity.