“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” Titus 1:15

Bare Feet

In my youth, I lived in Southern California where the weather was generally warm and pleasant. In the winter and spring we got a little rain, and in early summer we endured foggy mornings. In the autumn, some of the trees gave a muted show of color. Summer days were hot and dry, and we children ran around the neighborhood streets barefooted. Stubbed toes were an everyday occurrence.

At the beginning of summer, with winter-tender feet, we stuck to walking on lawns, with the occasional venture onto hot sidewalks. Gradually, the bottoms of our feet grew calloused and thick, until we could walk across the street without so much as a flip-flop between our bodies and the scorching asphalt. This was not something we thought about—it was merely the result of slowly becomed accustomed to heat.

This has a spiritual parallel. A child’s mind—any mind—starts out tender. A childike faith is a safeguard against the enemy’s heated onslaughts. That simple faith is usually slowly subjected to moral evils and unfocused distractions that are hardly noticeable in the beginning. Further worldly interactions and interests keep the heat on, until we are calloused to God’s tenderness. Our mind becomes seared, our conscience scorched, our heart inattentive to danger. We no longer recognize evil as evil. We aren’t afraid of—in fact, we do not even notice—things that are dangerous to our faith.

Corruption generally happens slowly. It’s like rust that eats away at a tiny corner first, just an unnoticed edge, but if not scrubbed off, it eventually takes over and corrodes all the way to the inner core. This is inward corruption, and it won’t be long before it is seen outwardly by all who are watching.

Christians are not immune to this process; we must be continually cleansed by the Word of God and atoning blood of Christ. May the Spirit of God open our eyes to any corruption in our lives.

Lord, we open ourselves to You for sin-cleansing. In areas where our hearts are calloused and corrupt, transform us. Tenderize us—toward You, and toward others. Make us aware of the danger to our spiritual selves, and would You keep us from being deceived. Amen.