A Lesson from My Toothpaste

_____The other day, I opened the bathroom cabinet to brush my teeth. As I was holding my tube of toothpaste, I actually paused to read it for some reason. The words that were emphasized the most were: “Gently removes surface stains.” Through these words, God reminded me of His power to remove the stains from my character. And isn’t He gentle about it? But He does it thoroughly, cleansing away each stain, to make us whiter than snow. Here are the gentle words of our heavenly Father: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.
_____He also says to us, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well…” Isaiah 1:16-17. There is some effort on our part involved. Just think of it this way: if we want our teeth to be clean, do we leave it up to the toothpaste to do it all? Of course we don’t. We get our toothbrushes out and brush thoroughly until the difference is seen and felt. When we see a stain in our characters, we need to accept the help of the Holy Spirit, and then believe and do according to His will and leading. We take hold of God’s strength as our effort is combined with His divine power, to remove stains “and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And for a tangible example, we use the toothpaste (like the Holy Spirit) AND the toothbrush (our cooperation). Neither the toothpaste nor the toothbrush will whiten our teeth all by itself. The cooperation is so necessary and essential.
_____Friends, do we spend enough time with God? Do we devote our time to Him as we should? It isn’t a one time thing. Ask yourself, “How often do I brush my teeth?” We need to take our walk with God more seriously than our dental care. When we are baptized, or give our lives to God, is that the end? I cannot imagine that any of us would say, “My teeth are clean. I brushed them once when I was ten years old; that’s enough.” Do you know that the spiritual things are more real than the physical, tangible things that we come to take so seriously? Paul says, “...Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
_____May we diligently take care of our outward and inward man; and in faith, cooperate with our heavenly Father.

In God-given faith, hope, and charity,
Sister G.