The Nose Snubbers Club: Members Wanted
Founding of this club dates back to the beginning. When God said, “Let us make man.” (See Genesis 1:26.)
If we spent more time conducting surprise inspections on our own barracks, we could measure ourselves against the standard of Scripture instead of gauging by comparison.
It wasn’t a military barrack inspected by a drill sergeant. Still, a huge honor to win the cleanest barracks award for cabin inspection at camp. Especially for neat freaks.
Founding Club Member
I like things in order. A place for everything and everything in its proper place. According to Karen’s standard. My house will never appear on the cover of Southern Living. But I’m not at peace with an undone house. Beds unmade. Clothes and shoes in disarray. Dirty bathroom and kitchen. I admit, I’ve snubbed my nose at a few unkept houses along the way. Even my own.
During hectic seasons in my life, I contemplated hiring a maid service to clean our home. It never happened. This housekeeper’s problem? Before the help arrived, I’d want to pick up and clean.
Not wanting someone—whose job is to clean—to see my dirty floors or windows. God help me if they noticed the refrigerator with rotten food, or worse, sticky residue on every shelf from a sugary juice spill. A mess no one cleaned up. Not even the someone who likes things clean. The prideful shame of a dirty rotten mess.
I couldn’t let go of appearances for appearance sake.
A recommended maid service could take care of appearances in our home with a good measuring system. Passing the white-glove inspection. The finger swipe across clean mantles, tables, and countertop will not leave a dirty smudge behind.
Many times we tidy up the quickest way by throwing misplaced items in a drawer, closet, or spare room and close the door. And what about the messy garage? The one everything gets thrown into leaving no room for our vehicles. After all, a garage sale is not selling a garage, it’s selling stuff in a garage we no longer want or need.
Appearances, at first glance, may not be what they seem—just not seen. 
Just not seen. Like our hearts and minds. Things we hide behind closed doors, in the garage, or tuck away in a closet or drawer where nobody will see. For appearance sake.
- Messy drawers full of thoughts not lovely to think about.
- Dirty laundry piled high from gossip or shameful decisions.
- Garages full of hobbies that often take us away from the important.
- Shelves holding dust-collecting accolades of earth leaving no room for the heavenly ones.
- Cobwebs of dirt and grit—spun by self-deception—in the closets of our hearts.
The Messy Life Club
In Christ, we are given a spiritual housekeeper. The Holy Spirit washes us with God’s truth. The Lord’s measuring system for cleanliness. Holiness through the Spirit and Scripture according to God’s standard.
If we allow the Spirit to come in and do a thorough cleaning, conducting surprise inspections on the barracks of our lives, we fare better in the Spirit’s white-glove test. Smudges of dirt and grime become less noticeable when the cleansing power of God’s Word renews and changes us into holy men and women of God.
Changing me. Not my neighbor. Me. A God-help-me process.
You may not be a neat freak or snub your nose at your neighbor’s unkept house. What about snubbing our noses at unkept people? Messy people with messy lives. The people who in comparison to us—for appearance sake—need to clean up.
During a nose-snubbing season of my life, I applied for membership to a very upscale, private community of nose-snubbers, The Holier-Than-Thou Country Club. They only accept tidy, un-messy members. I was blackballed by secret ballot. Another nose-snubber perhaps?
Today, I belong to a more open membership club, The Messy Life Club. We’ve had a nose or two snubbed our way. But club members are encouraged to use our noses for our own prideful shame of a dirty rotten mess.
Don’t look at your neighbor’s mess. We have our own housekeeper over at The Messy Life Club. The Holy Spirit. He will cleanse us into all holiness. We only have to give Him the inspection go-ahead.
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
© 2014 by Karen Friday
As a former owner of a very prominent cleaning, organizing and commercial property management company, I can honestly say….this read was detailed, we’ll written and would be an excellent article of inspiration to feature on my former business website.
Wow! You used very good similarities and comparison’s, Karen. No more swepting dust, debris and dirt under the rug here. Thanks for sharing beautiful lady!
Shira, thank you. Wow, you can relate to the details of cleaning. Smudges of dirt and grime become less noticeable when the cleansing power of God’s Word renews and changes us into holy men and women of God. Blessings!
Love your blogs!
Thank you, Tammy. Glad to have a spiritual housekeeper over at The Messy Life Club. We’re all messy people with messy lives. Only the Holy Spirit washes us into holiness. Blessings, friend!