"But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for  them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you;"  - Matthew 5:44

Michaelangelo, DaVinci, Picasso, Van Gogh...

...Jimmy D. Brown?  

What do these names have in common?  It's simple, really, we were all artists.  Each of us had an uncanny  ability to make something beautiful out of something that  wasn't.

Van Gogh and the others, of course, created  masterpiece paintings.  I, on the other hand, had a  different form of art, applied specifically as a boy growing  up...

...I could turn a bedroom that looked as if a tornado had  struck it into a picture perfect display of cleanliness in a  matter of minutes.

Seriously.  I could.

Oh, I didn't know at first that it was a talent.  I  discovered it rather innocently one day.  My parents had  asked me a simple question, "Is your room clean?"  To  which, I replied, "Of course."

They naturally went into my bedroom and began  inspecting.  In pointing out things that needed  improvement, I noticed that they tended to mention items that were in obvious view...

...but they didn't check under the bed and in other  strategic places!

My "creative" young mind began to work.  I found that if  I did a quick makeover and hid most of the messes that I  had made, then I could masquerade my room to be  clean...

...when, of course, it wasn't.  

Didn't matter.  I'm an artist, remember?  I just made it  look like it was clean.

I had a lot of ingenius ways to disguise the truth.   Things like hiding all of the trash under my clothes in the  dresser drawers.  I could stack up a bunk of junk in the  closet and neatly place a few items in front of them to  create the appearance of a well organized closet.  My  bed?  Never did put the sheet on it, all I needed was to  cover it up with a quilt and a few pillows.

Oh, there were many, many ways of making something  that wasn't clean look clean.   

You know, it's sad to say, but many Christians are  artists as well.  That's right, they can take a life that is dirty  and make it look clean.

Seriously.  They can.

They hide all of their trash under a friendly smile and  polite conversation, all the while spreading rumors and  saying things they'd never say to your face.  They stack up  a bunch of junk way in the back of the closet...you know,  things like selfishness, bad attitudes, ill will, bitterness,  wrong motives and indifference...and they neatly place a  few items in front to create the appearance of someone  who cares.  Yes, my friend, sometimes they cover up their  wrongdoings with an excuse and a few "little white lies."

Oh, on the surface, their lives look clean.  They come  to church on Sunday mornings and say their "amens" and  teach their class and shake hands with everyone with a  smile on their face.  They agree in unison that each  Christian should be involved in personal evangelism to reach the lost of their neighborhood, and they pledge to  encourage at least one Christian in the faith every day.

But, then, they walk out the door, leaving their  Christianity sitting on the pew behind.  They yell at their  kids, bicker with their spouse, watch movies that are filthy  and live to please themselves.  They throw their Bibles on  the shelf and leave them there until the next Sunday, while  pausing to pray only when they find out they have a need  that they would like the Lord to meet for them.  They talk  about the weather, the sports scores, their grandchildren  and everything but the Gospel.  The closest they come to  telling someone about Jesus is when they condemn their  preacher for preaching on tithing.  

Tell me it isn't true, my friend.  Tell me if I'm mistaken.

And then, when inspection comes calling, they sweep it  all under a rug again, hoping and praying that you won't  take a closer look.

There are many, many ways of making something that  isn't clean look clean.

Christian, it ought not to be that way.  There should be nothing in our lives to cover up, no trash to hide behind a  mask.  We should live in such a way that Christ be glorified  in all that we say and do, whether at church or at home...

...or at work, or on the tennis courts, or at the lake...

...or at the mall or the movies or any other place we  might find ourselves at.

Our lives must tell the story of Jesus.  Nothing to hide.  Nothing to be ashamed of.  Nothing to cover up.

And so, as you enter into this day, what does you life  look like?  Are you covering anything up, hiding behind  something that really isn't what it appears to be?  Or, are  you living the life that honors the One who gave His life for you...

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!