A Word Washed Life
A Word Washed Life
I worked in hospitals as a speech-language pathologist most of my three-decade career. One familiar phrase I heard preached up and down the hallways was, “Wash your hands.” In the hospital we were at war with germs. We posted signs, held safety classes and put up catchy bulletin boards reminding our employees of the virtues of clean hands. As a manager, I would have days in which I secretly watched staff to ensure that they washed their hands; I would educate on the spot anyone who failed to “hand gel in” or “gel out” of a patient’s room. Thankfully, no one wanted to spread germs or get sick themselves, so it was a rare day when I would catch any violators. One of the craziest slogans a hospital used early in my career was, “Don’t be a dope, wash your hands with water and soap.” It obviously worked because I still remember it to this day. 😊 This was before the hand sanitizer era … back when we instructed medical professionals to sing the ABCs while washing their hands to ensure they washed long enough to get rid of a lion’s share of the germs. Notice that I didn’t say all the germs! A sterile environment, like a surgery suite, is as close as a hospital can get to “no germs.” Even then, it is not entirely possible for any hospital to absolutely eradicate all germs – germy bugs live everywhere!
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her,
having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV).”
In these two verses God commands a husband to “love” his wife in the very same way as Christ loves His church. The reason why God wants a husband to “love” his wife is also the same reason why Christ loves his church – in order to “sanctify” her. Further, God also tells us how to make this happen – “by the washing … with the word.” This is THE inspiration for the name of my blog WordWashedWife. My sweet husband of 33 years does this for me daily; my life is truly blessed. I do not believe this is the norm, even in Christian households, but it should be! So, I blog and try to give as many practical tips as I can to make this your reality too; so that all our marriages may better reflect the Gospel!
My desire is to spur you along in your faith. This washing in Ephesians should be common place in your life and as natural as washing your hands before you eat.
Another favorite slogan posted in the employee lounge:
“Don’t be dirty, be neat and wash your hands before you eat! 😊”
So, when I read about “washing” in the verse we are looking at today, I have a visual picture in my mind about what Christ desires! Jesus desires a bride, a church, which is filled with squeaky clean people. He knows that He is in a war too – a war for our hearts; not against germs, but against sin. And He knows that the best cleaning agent is the Word of God. The more time we spend in His spirit and abiding in Him and His word, the more equipped we are to fight against the sins we face each day in this broken world. And who is better to wash us then our spouse … the one our sin impacts the most.
How important is reading the Word of God?
The Word of God is the only tangible part of God in my world. I do not disregard the role of the Holy Spirit and His presence in my life. I treasure the gift of God’s spirit. But, I can’t pick Him up. I can’t put Him in my purse or in my pocket. I can, however, physically hold and carry the Word of God. I love my physical Bible. I even have the entire Bible on my iPhone. Actually I have 9 translations of the Bible on my iPhone. I can read any text in Hebrew and Greek too! Well, Siri can. 😊 My daily time in the Word of God is a main stay in my walk with God. Reading the Word of God is more than a spiritual discipline, it is a spiritual life line.
I believe that in every one of my posts I encourage people to read the Word. Yet, I know that for a variety of reasons many of you do not. I am saddened by the lack of Biblical literacy in the church today. Recently I was at a Christian event. The speaker gave a “POP” Quiz on Bible knowledge. Only 3 of us in a very large room got all 20 questions correct. I do not say this to brag. Instead, I hope I encourage you to dig in and make time each day for God to speak to you through His Holy Word.
When young, busy moms complain to me, “I don’t have time for daily Bible reading,” I do no pat their hands and say, “Poor baby, life is tough.” Instead, I reply, and not uncaringly, “You are not choosing wisely, re-think how you spend your time.” I do not say this because of some weighty spiritual “to do” list. I do not want my sisters to become crushed. On the contrary, I know that the Word of God is their only true help and I am moved with compassion by their struggle. For myself, I would have crumbled under the difficulty of life if I didn’t have a steady diet of God’s Word. Jesus is the only hope I can ever offer anyone. It is my only hope as well. My confidence is in the Bible! If the answer you are searching for today cannot be answered by the Word of God, then don’t worry about it. It is only a temporal issue. With time, it will sort itself out. All truth, eternal truth, is God’s and God’s alone!
So, to answer my own question, “How important is reading the Word of God, I say, “PRIMO! Do not pass GO! Do not collect $200.00! You cannot live a full life in Spirit and Truth without an investment of time in the Word. Period.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth (John 17:17).”
What effect does the Word have on your life?
The Word of God is life giving! It is written for each one of us; for our own life story. It is how we get to intimately know our heavenly Father. As a young woman, and after visiting Washington DC for the first time, I imagined that God looked like the statue I saw of Abraham Lincoln; sitting on a large granite throne like in the Lincoln Memorial. Bigger than life. A face that was kind, but demanded respect. This was just a product of my imagination, but after spending a lifetime in His Word, I believe that His voice is like thunder and sounds like rushing water. I believe His words are life giving and full of love. So, to stay away from the image of God that some create in their own minds, we must spend time in the truth. We must get to know the true living God and His character. I don’t want to rely on the limitations of my mind. I want to catch a glimpse of the awesome God who created the Universe, who saved a people unto himself, who saw our sin in the Garden, and who compassionately put together a plan that would span thousands of years so that I, a gentile woman, could have a seat at His table through the sacrifice of his beloved son, Jesus!
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).”
How does a husband or wife wash each other in the Word?
Daily I bathe in the Word. I read passages from the Old Testament and the New Testament though a Community Bible Reading (CBR) AP. For accountability, I post every day in GROUP ME with three different groups of Christian sisters. I post what the day’s reading meant to me and how I feel God nudging me to apply it to me life. I then spend 20 minutes a day listening to books of the Bible with my DWELL AP. This is a beautiful gift from creative Christian brothers and sisters; it can be yours for a minimal amount of money each year. Every day, and to the back-drop of my choice of music, I listen to a delightful African brother, Felix, as he reads Scripture. Then, I dwell in the sound of Felix’s voice and the truth and beauty of God’s words. Those are my daily baths. What my husband provides me is needed washing … a special spot cleaning.
Through the years, and during trials, hard decisions and heart aches, I have requested this of my husband, “Tell me the truth again, Jody.” He knows that I am not asking him for his opinion. Instead, I am asking him to say what God’s Word says on the matter at hand. Jody faithfully does just that. He reminds me of God’s promises and God’s faithfulness. In the midst of the words pouring out of Jody’s mouth, the Holy Spirit brings previously read verses to me as well. And then, without pomp or circumstance, our quick bath becomes a prayer – a “two gathered in my name” moment with each of us seeking God in prayer and reuniting our hearts and minds to Christ. That is the purpose of the washing and of our marriage! God wants us to reconcile ourselves to Him. And who better to walk me there than the one person I am in a covenant relationship with – my husband.
Now, in order for Jody to remind me of the truth, he must know the truth himself. Jody must also be drinking and feasting at God’s table. I must allow him margin for this too! I know many wives who hand off the kids to their hubbies as soon as they step in the door from a day of work. These wives do this so that they can run free for a few hours. Later, these same ladies complain that their husbands are not the spiritual leader in their home. You cannot have it both ways, my sisters! Your life will make room for the things that are most important to you. Reading the Word needs to be at the top of your list. It may be that after the kids go to bed, you need to turn off Netflix and open the Bible together. I promise you that you will be better prepared for the next trial and more rested after 20 minutes in the Word than you will be after an hour-long TV induced-coma. Now, I truly am meddling. Sorry. But, I care. I want you to live as mature Believers. I want your marriages to reflect the Gospel in such a way that anyone who meets you sees Jesus in you and your home! I want the same for my marriage, too!
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6:11).”
I appreciate our time together each week. Thank you for reading and sharing my words with other Christian brothers and sisters. Stay washed in the Word. And when needed, allow your spouse to give you a quick washing too. I guarantee that your marriage will never be the same and that God will be glorified!
