- photo from Susan PageNaming our children is serious business, especially if we are Christ followers. When God added two beautiful gifts to our family, I pondered and prayed over the decision of what their names would be. There was no problem landing on their first names; it was their second names I went back and forth on, ultimately landing on Christina Joy, followed by Jennifer Dawn.
You may be wondering what this introduction has to do with the title of this devotional. Hang in there while I explain.
I have been known to have a slight to moderate issue with what is sometimes referred to as OCD. I believe there is a place for everything, and everything has its place. Over the years, I’ve become less of a fusspot, but others might disagree with my humble assessment.
Let’s go back a moment to the naming of my daughters.
Christina Joy was chosen as I prayed that her heart would be filled with Christ’s joy, and praise God, it is! “But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You” (Psalm 5:11).
Jennifer Dawn was chosen because I always loved the name Jennifer. While Dawn was picked based on these words from the Psalms, “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous” (Psalm 112:4). Jenn is a woman of grace and compassion.
Again, what does the naming of my girls have to do with the theme of cleanliness?
It wasn’t long ago when my youngest, a meticulous homemaker with an OCD level higher than her mom’s, came to me with this insight. “Mom, I finally figured out why you gave my sister and me the middle names, Joy and Dawn.” “Really”, I asked, “and what conclusion did you come up with?” Now wait for it, … her reply … “That’s the name of two dishwashing detergents.”
Very funny, honey, but no!
There are humorous lyrics entitled “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness” that I often hummed while cleaning my home, taken from the Musical, Glory.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness, soap and water is divine.
It’s not enough to talk about holiness; your furniture has got to shine.
No use in going on about your white-washed soul if you dare not hang your laundry on the line.
Cleanliness is next to godliness, soap and water is divine!” (see footnote)
Some people think the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness” is found in the Bible. It isn’t, although the phrase has sometimes been attributed to John Wesley, who often emphasized the importance of cleanliness in his sermons. The book of Leviticus is filled with an exhaustive list of strict purification rituals relating to physical and spiritual cleanliness that the Jewish people were to follow.
Jesus came with a new message emphasizing the condition of our hearts. He shifted the focus from outward appearance to inward, saying, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean" (Matthew 23: 25-26).
We constantly look after our bodies and possessions. We should also care daily for the purity of our hearts as we follow the teachings of Jesus who said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
There are prayers found in God’s Word that we can humbly pray, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
We respect the gifts of creation, our bodies and homes, by how we care for them. Greater emphasis should always be on our spiritual purity, which can be supported through daily confession, Bible reading, and prayer. Praise God, we have this eternal promise, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Let’s ask God to clean us from the inside out so that we become shining vessels that reflect His glory!
Footnote: (The Salvation Army musical Glory was written in 1975 by John Gowans and John Larsson. It was the fifth in a series of ten musicals they co-authored between 1967 and 1990. Glory is based on Edward Joy's book, The Old Corps, which recounts the early days of The Salvation Army in Folkestone.)
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.