Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. Luke 12:2-3

You ever have a smell in your house that just seem to be annoying? So we run to our cabinets or our cupboards to find the smell good spray or a plug in, so we can get rid of the odor, but in reality we are just masking over the real issue, the smell. I chuckle every time I see a Febreze or Glade commercials, which tries diligently to persuade us that their products get rid of smells just with the mere present of it. Of course in the commercials, the people act as if they never noticed any smell of any kind except for the product. If you ever stayed in a hotel where smoking is allowed, went to visit a friend who smokes, or rode in a smokers car, you know that no matter what they try to do to get rid of the smell, the odor lingers on. And as innocent as it may seem this odor has an effect on other people especially if they are sensitive to smoke or maybe have asthma, it can be damaging to their breathing. Well sin has that same effect as well.

Sin is that bad odor to God, and every day someone is trying to mask the smell of their sins from God, as if He will be fooled like the people in the Febreze commercial. I remember when I was addicted to crack, I would do everything I could to mask the smell of my addiction, only to realize that the more I tried to cover it the worst the smell became. When we try to mask over our sins, it only makes the smell worst for God and your love ones. The scent of the spray or smell good (as I like to call them) lulls us into a false sense of comfort, making us believe that we have fooled people, but instead we have made the smell worse. Sometimes sprays and plug-ins aren’t enough, sometime we must buckle down and clean up, so we can get rid of the stench.

I remember as a child, every Spring my mother would open up the doors and windows and air out the house, and then prepare us for the task of Spring Cleaning. This should also be done in our own lives. The opening up is to allow God access to the ugliness inside of us, so He can cleanse us of the odor that we have gotten comfortable with. The Spring Cleaning allows God to throw out anything that is keeping us held in captivity. God wants us to be cleansed of the smell, and not just let us keep masking over it.

It’s time to let go of the Febreze and plug-ins in our lives, and open up the windows and doors so we can clean house!

Do you still wear the mask?