America's Ugliest Bathrooms

Right now I'm watching "America's Ugliest Bathroom" on TLC. The whole point of the show is to discover the worst bathroom in America, gut it and remake it, brand new, from scratch. When the host enters the bathroom they are met with toilets that used to be white, shower stalls with scum, mold, mildew and the works. Basically a health hazard. I'm wondering if these people even see it or have ever thought about cleaning their bathroom! I'm shocked at a couple of things.

1. People tolerate some pretty bad bathrooms.
2. People have no shame or embarrassment at millions of people seeing it.

When it comes to Christian spirituality I see some parallels here. I think all of us have a propensity to acclimate to our messes. It may be the stuff in the car, the clutter in your house, the mess your schedule is in etc. When it comes to our spirituality it may be things like our vices, our "secret sins" and their results. It may be our toxic relationships or our habits. We humans, if we look at our lives at some point, have tolerated some pretty bad "bathrooms" in our time. Because we've been so used to it we haven't even had the shame or sense to hide those things.

The great thing is, that like all bathrooms can be introduce to "Mr. Clean" or even a complete makeover, our lives can experience the same thing. The Bible says to be "washed with the water of the Word." It says that through the word of God we can be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." The word of God can and will do you a great service if applied on a regular basis to your life. There are those who seem "stuck in their stuff" all the time. They tolerate their situation, their circumstance. I think my wife said it best when she said, "You deserve what you tolerate."

Bathrooms are supposed to get "used". The fact that there is traffic in and out of there is a given. And likewise we get "used". We live in a fallen world. There is traffic all around us, things going on, temptations, triumphs, falls and failures. What do we do with all of this stuff?

Well, we're not bathrooms but we all have souls to be cleansed. I guess the prophet Isaiah (1:18) said it very well when the Lord through him said, "Come now, let us argue this out." says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow..."

So I guess we all at some point have "America's ugliest bathrooms". We just don't have to tolerate it!