One Spray at a Time

Posted by Gary Chevalier | 1 comments

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OK, let me just say it and get it out there into the open.  I DESPISE cleaning bathrooms.  I LOATHE it; and there is no more unpleasant household task than cleaning the shower.  It’s a large and difficult area to scrub and rinse, and there’s no way to do it without getting water and cleaner on yourself.  I avoid it at all costs.

I’ve recently discovered the joys of the daily spray shower cleaner.  You know, the stuff you spray after each shower to help keep the shower clean.  It’s been on the market for a while, but only in the last year or so have I learned to reap the benefits.  Spraying this stuff in the shower each day drastically reduces the frequency with which I have to clean the shower; and then when I do clean it, it’s 10,000 times easier.  The secret is a daily treatment to kill the mold/germs/bacteria that grows on the moist surfaces after you bathe.

Several days ago I ran out of the daily cleaner and have neglected to replace it.  So why was I surprised when I stepped into the shower this morning and found that my normally clean shower had somehow gotten really dirty?  And more importantly, what does that have to do with living a lifestyle that worships God?  Allow me to explain...

I’ve recently taken on the task of being the Elementary Character Education Coordinator at my girls' school, so I’ve spent some extra time recently thinking about how we can teach children Godly character.  After all, it’s not like teaching 2 + 2 = 4.  Of course, many things in life are spelled out in the Bible as right and wrong, but lots of times there are judgement calls that have to be made.  Here’s a $10 bill on the floor of the school - do I keep it, or turn it in to the office?  I accidentally saw someone else’s answer on the test and realized that it was right and mine was wrong - do I change my answer to the correct one, or do I leave mine alone because I wouldn’t have remembered it if I hadn’t seen someone else’s test.  Examples like this can be found everywhere, everyday.  American culture is definitely a proponent of situational ethics, and it’s no understatement to say that the collective moral compass does not always point true north.  So, how does one live/model/teach Godly character on a daily basis?  The answer, my friend, is found in the shower cleaner:  Consistent Daily Treatment.  Every day we are presented with choices in how to live.  Some choices may seem insignificant to you, but all choices will either reinforce or erode Godly character in your life.

There’s a sign that hangs from the second story in my girls’ school that says, “Character is built once choice at a time.”  It’s a great reminder to us that bad choices in even the most trivial situations can lead to much worse.  Once the first compromise is made, the second one is easier, the third easier, and so on - especially when you don’t directly see a bad result from the first choice.  Then, like my shower, one day you open your eyes and your life is dirty, moldy, and mildewy.

So I encourage you today to start praying on a daily basis for wisdom to make Godly choices.  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, Who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  Perhaps you need to copy this scripture or the phrase from the sign at my girls’ school and place it on your bathroom mirror, or on your car’s dashboard, or on your screen saver, or some other prominent place you’ll notice it often.  When we keep Godly Character regularly in front of our eyes, we’re more likely to regularly make wise, Godly choices...and I need all the help I can get!  (And for the record, I also plan to place an additional Post-it note on my bathroom mirror that also says, “Clean showers are built one spray at a time!”)
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