“…Dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
2 Corinthians 7:1
Are you a flosser? Most people are or aren’t. They do or they don’t. Me? Well, I was one of those people more classified as “never”. You see, while my parents taught me that I should brush my teeth every day, flossing was not included in the daily required regime. I’m not even sure that I knew about floss back then. The only time I can remember even going to the dentist as a kid was when I was in 6th grade and chipped my front tooth, needing it capped. I’m sure there were other times, but I definitely didn’t go to the dentist twice a year for a check-up like my kids do today. And flossing? Well, that was a foreign concept to me. So I admit it. I used to be one of those people who “don’t”. That is, until I started going to church with my dental hygienist. Then I felt a sudden urge to start taking care of my teeth in the way the dentist has been instructing me to do for years. Why? I had to face someone each week who ultimately would know the truth about my poor habit of not flossing. She would know at my 6 month cleaning by the amount of plaque build-up on my teeth if I’d been doing what I was supposed to be doing.
So the truth is out - I am now an avid flosser, and I go to the dentist every six months, just like I’m supposed to. But because I had those poor dental hygiene habits early-on in life, I kind of suffer now. I have very weak enamel, several crowns and fillings, and my teeth are extremely compacted in the back, because of all the necessary “repair work”. When I say compacted, I mean, tighter than tight. Every time I would floss, the floss would shred and break in my teeth. Until recently, I usually spent more time trying to get the broken floss out from between my teeth then I did manipulating the floss between my teeth. Every floss I bought ending up breaking and fraying. I tried GLIDE, WAXED, MINT, and really, just about everything, but nothing was strong enough to work it’s way through the back of my teeth to floss correctly without breaking. For someone who was trying to have good hygiene practices, it was not the most optimal situation. Literally, I would spend about 15-20 minutes of every morning initially trying to floss, then re-floss and remove the frayed strands that had become stuck in the back. When the floss gets stuck, it can actually be painful.
So as I read in 2 Corinthians 7 this morning, I couldn’t help but think of the parallel between flossing and verse one. It says, “Dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” What does earthly flossing do? It purifies us from things that contaminate our teeth. But what about spiritual flossing? It’s when we are disciplined enough to invite God into those tightly fitted cracks to remove the things in our life that contaminate our body and spirit. Why does He want us to spiritually floss? To perfect holiness. It’s the process of sanctification – becoming more like Him.
God created us as humans with a free will. Just like earthly flossing, spiritual flossing is a discipline. It's a choice. Purifying ourselves is a two-fold action – turning away from sin and turning toward God. In the passage, Paul was speaking to the Corinthians and urging them to not have anything to do with paganism. They were to make a clean break from their past and give themselves to God alone. Paul urged them to identify the things in their lives that were causing contamination and keeping them from becoming more like Christ. He urged them to do some spiritual flossing.
If you’re like me, when you first get in the habit of flossing, your gums bleed a little (ok, maybe a lot!), and it’s not the most pleasant thing to deal with. It's painful. And when you get in the habit of spiritual flossing, truth be told, it’s even more painful. God so desperately wants to remove the plaque of sin that has been built up in those tightly guarded areas, but we have to be willing to seek Him and ask His Holy Spirit to show us what needs removed. We must ask Him to use His super-strength floss on us that doesn’t break off and give out when tested. We have to know that if we are going to be more like Him, as He perfects us and removes the sin that contaminates us, it will be painful, especially at first, if we’re not used to it. But the end result is so worth the pain – becoming more like Him.
You might remember I said earlier, “Until recently, I usually spent more time trying to get the broken floss out from between my teeth then I did manipulating the floss between my teeth.” Yes, until recently. While on a business trip last fall, I ran out of floss, and I was devastated! You see, when you start to floss, you also become addicted to it, in a good way. You don’t feel right if you haven't flossed. So I went around asking my colleagues if they had any floss I could have. Sure enough, one person out of the whole group had some, and she gave it to me. I looked down to see what kind it was: Rite Aid Premium Waxed Floss. I thanked her, but in the back of my mind, I highly doubted that it would be strong enough to withstand my tightly compacted teeth. How wrong I was! This is the best floss I’ve ever used, and never once has it even broken in between my teeth. My flossing time is 5 minutes a day now instead of 15-20, and when I’m done, my teeth feel cleaner than if I had used an expensive brand. (I don’t have any Rite Aids near me, so feel free to send me some! That’s what my mom gave me for Christmas, by my request…that’s how good it is!)
So, if you’re not a flosser, why not? What’s keeping you? You know what you’re supposed to do, and there’s really no excuse for NOT doing it, especially since you now know my secret weapon of the Rite Aid Premium Waxed Floss. But more importantly, are you spiritually flossing? Are you asking God each day to remove the things that are contaminating you physically and spiritually? Are you spending time with Him each day reading His Word? Are you praying and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal truth so that through Him and Him alone, sin can be removed? Then are you confessing and taking action against the sin? Remember, it's a two-fold process, turn away from sin and turn toward God. If your're not flossing, go start today…with both kinds! Make your goal to go “2themax” with God!
--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com