My slimy state of affairs

A wise professor came into our worship class one day and told us that Wesley's means of grace are about 'getting under the spout where the grace comes out'. That silly little phrase sticks with me and pulls me back under the Spirit's purifying stream.

Imagine turning on the shower, hopping in, grabbing the soap and beginning to scrub. But imagine standing out of range of the water spraying out of the shower's head. Still dry as a bone, imagine piling the shampoo onto your scalp and rubbing through the body of your hair. After a luxurious ten minute shower you climb out, sop up all the soap and shampoo and carefully hang your slimy towel on the towel bar.

Are you any cleaner than when you got in? Even though you got in the shower, even though you used soap and shampoo, even though you went through all the proper motions, even though you smell better… you're still not clean.

Our efforts at spirituality without the Spirit's transforming grace keep us going round and round in circles. Get under the spout where the grace comes out. You'll still have to do some scrubbing in that place. It will help to apply soap and shampoo. But the key is the Spirit's purifying stream.

A good reminder for my slimy state of affairs.