Perfume won't cover a musty odor

The summer of 2013 brought about a series of events that led me to purchase a used 2011 White Toyota Corolla. Much to my dismay, the car had only been used as a rental car but although there was a "no smoking" sign on the windows as clear as day, it was very obvious renters had lit up quite a few times.




What annoyed me the most, was that the dealers tried to convince me that the gas stained interior problem could be solved with something as simple as a Febreeze car odor device.

What frustrated me more, was my own foolish act of buying not one, not two, but three of those silly car vents AND a floor deodorizer in hopes that maybe they were right (when in the back of my mind, I knew it couldn't be true).

A week of Lavender scented trips went by and all I could think about was a saying my momma used to say to my siblings and I. Whenever we tried to put on deodorant or perfume/cologne without taking a bath, she would wisely say "Deodorant and Perfume won't cover up must". What she meant was that deodorant and perfume were meant to compliment cleanliness. Their purpose is not to take away the odor that comes with filth.

If you're anything like me, you can write a list of sins I'm in need of forgiveness for in a span of an hour (60 minutes of my day). We talking about things I knew I should have done but didn't, things I thought, attitudes I felt and words I've said. Although I'm a believer, my flesh still exists and often gets the best of me. No amount of good deeds I do in a day's time can alleviate the wrong that is exudes from my life on a daily basis. I'd toil in vain and run myself crazy even trying. Good deeds only cover up our filth, they aren't able to take away the odor and stain of our sins.

To rid my car of that cigarette odor, I had to take my car to a car wash that specialized in full interior detail. I couldn't run through one of those drive-through car washes or even one where I cleaned it myself. I had to drop my car off, go sit inside for an hour and let them go to work on cleaning the vents, shampooing the carpet and airing out the car.

I had to take my car to people who were experts in doing what it took to remove the stains from the inside of my vehicle. Jesus Christ's payment on the cross is our "Full Service" detail. His service was not only the payment needed to wash away the final penalty for our sin-sick hearts, but also the complete work needed to forgive us and cleanse us daily (down to each minute) and repeatedly for the things our flesh still lures us into. We must take our habits, faults, and failures to Him so He can remove the guilty stains of our sins.



A friend of mine would put it like this "keep short accounts with God"...which simply put means, ask for forgiveness frequently and consistently. This way our good deeds will be Him working in us to compliment, like the sweet aroma of perfume, the bath He's already given to our hearts.

~Be Refreshed