"Clean your dirty face." That's what the sign on the store said. It made me want to grab a mirror and check for grime or grease on my mug.
Curious, I picked up the store's brochure and learned they were selling thirty-minute facials.
As a guy, I’m not well versed here (washing my face takes about 20 seconds). But in talking to my beautiful wife—who has beautiful skin—I learned there’s more to having a clean face than the absence of visible dirt. Hence, the availability of these thirty-minute facial treatments.
Being clean is a massive theme in Scripture:
- David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10).
- Job said, “The one who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger” (Job 17:9).
- Isaiah commanded, “Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean (Isaiah 1:16).
God is intensely, eternally interested in our being clean deep inside. But that will take more than a session at a beauty shop. Rather than getting a facial, I suggest we need a "soul-cial"—a cleansing at the soul level. I need this!
Just like we set aside time for a facial, let’s make an actual appointment with God. Maybe you skip breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. The main thing is, set a specific date and time.
Begin by confessing any known sin. Then—and here comes the “deep clean”—invite the Holy Spirit to point out any dirt or filth you might have overlooked. Confess all that, too, and ask Him to remove it.
Then, pray with David—who knew exactly what we’re talking about—“Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Seems to me if we give 30 minutes to a facial, we could do the same for cleaning our souls.
This week, I’m going to make an appointment with God for a soul-cial. If you want to do the same, I’ll email you a pdf of 10 Bible passages to help you focus your prayer time. Just say, "Send me those verses" when you connect at Jon@jongauger.com.