Washed Clean

If you own a dog, you already know a basic truth about them: they absolutely do not care if they are dirty. In fact, the stinkier, the better. Give a dog a patch of mud or something foul on the ground, and they will happily wallow in it without a care in the world.

But as much as they love the mess, most of them absolutely hate the cure.

Take my rescue, Milly. She is terrified of baths. Honestly, she doesn’t even like to be touched most of the time. But she’s a dog, and eventually, she gets stinky and matted. A bath isn't optional; it has to happen. The entire time I'm trying to wash her, she is frantic—trying to get away, trying to jump out of the sink, just completely miserable.

But then, when it's all over, she has a good shake and...she gets the zoomies!

She runs, she jumps, she plays, and she bursts into this pure, ecstatic energy. She is completely free and happy. After all that fighting, she finally realizes how much better it feels to be clean.

When I look at Milly, I can’t help but see a reflection of us.

Our human nature is a lot like a dirty dog. We get comfortable in our mess. Sometimes, we even enjoy rolling around in things we shouldn't, wallowing in habits, mistakes, and attitudes that weigh us down and gunk up our hearts.

And just like Milly, when it comes time to actually face the mess and get clean, it can feel incredibly uncomfortable. Confronting our mistakes, letting go of things we’ve grown attached to, and asking for forgiveness isn't easy. It can feel like a struggle. We try to pull away, run, or jump out of the sink because the process of being changed is hard.

But it is so necessary.

Jesus loves us too much to leave us matted and stinky in our own sin. He gave Himself completely so that we don’t have to carry that weight around anymore.

Psalm 51:7 says, "Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." When we finally stop fighting  and let Him wash us clean, something amazing happens. That heavy, bogged-down feeling vanishes. The guilt and the shame are gone.

Honestly? Being forgiven feels a lot like a dog with the zoomies. It is total, uncontained freedom. You walk away feeling lighter, ecstatic, happy, and completely alive.

Next time you see a pup shaking off the water or tearing through the yard after a bath, let it be a little reminder of the joy we have in Him. We don't have to stay in the mud. We are WASHED CLEAN!