A Matter of Taste

Two cockroaches decided to visit their favorite restaurant so the story goes. While the larger of the two was eating his meal, the smaller one said, "You wouldn't have believed the house I just left. It was spotless. The lady had to be a cleanaholic. Everything was shiny-the sink, the counter, the floors. Everything was sparkling." The other roach stopped his munching, looked with some annoyance at his companion. and said, "Do you have to talk like that while I'm eating''"

That stork about roaches can apply to human nature as well. The second letter to the Corinthians shows that Paul's readers had much to learn about clean living. They needed to develop a stronger hunger and thirst for righteousness. So the apostle pleaded with them to turn away from all filthiness. He reminded them that God wants His people to separate themselves from spiritual garbage.

If "cleanness" of heart sounds unappealing, perhaps our tastes are too narrow. We need to learn to savor the flavor of godliness.

Father, forgive us for feeding the cravings of ow- sinful flesh. Help us to cultivate instead the tastes that Your Holy Spirit wants to produce in us. -`MRD

If we would love what's good and right,
We must be pure within;
But if we compromise the truth,
We lose our sense of sin

SIN CANOT FLOURISH WHERE GODLINESS IS CULTIVATED