No Mud Allowed

It is a rainy day and we’ve been doing chores outside. The ground is sticky with mud as we tromp along the path. Squish, squish. Are your feet cold? Let’s go inside to get warm!

Wait a moment. You need to take off your shoes first. Mom doesn’t want mud on the carpet, you know. No shoes inside. It’s a house rule. Do you have to take your shoes off every time? you ask, as I help you untie your shoelaces. If we’ve been working or playing outside we do. It’s not always easy, especially when the shoes are hard to get off. But I don’t mind the rule. It helps the house stay much cleaner!

Our Father in Heaven has house rules, too. In His kingdom of love nothing that is evil or unclean is allowed. No hate or lies or selfishness. If you have anything wrong sticking to your life, you won’t be allowed in. Does that sound like a strict rule? It is. God is a pure and holy God who keeps His house spotless. If you want to live with Him and have a place in His house, you will have to be clean, too. Nothing that defiles may enter in (Revelation 21:27).

Think about it. Would you eat Grandma’s pie if she put some spoiled fruit in it? You wouldn’t say, “A few moldy berries won’t hurt.” No! The fruit must be all good to make a good pie. Or what if Dad built a tree house with rusty nails and rotten boards for the floor? It wouldn’t even be safe to stand on, would it? We must use all good materials if we want the results to be good. Only goodness is allowed into heaven.

You had better take off those muddy socks, too. We’ll have to wash them. But my feet are cold. Don’t worry! Here are some slippers you can wear. They are just my size! Can these be mine? Yes, as long as you stay with us they can. And that is the way it is in God’s house, too. He won’t allow any mud inside, but He has warm slippers of love and trust for you to wear instead.