I've been in a slump lately -- a serious reading slump. If you follow baseball, my reading has been like Dan Uggla's bat -- lifeless! But that is changing. I'm back in a good groove.
One of the books I'm working through is Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, And The Father Of Our Country. It's fascinating!
On December 31, 1799, Gouverneur Morris, author of much of the U.S. Constitution and one of its signers, wrote this about George Washington:
His judgment was always clear, because his mind was pure. And seldom, if ever, will a sound understanding be met in the company of a corrupt heart. . . . In him were the courage of a soldier, the intrepidity of a chief, the fortitude of a hero.
In him were the courage of a soldier, the intrepidity of a chief, the fortitude of a hero. That is a strong river of praise. Could that be said of me? How about you?
When I try to discover the headwaters of that praise, I need to look no further than Morris' first line: His judgment was always clear, because his mind was pure. What Morris recognized, God wants us to prioritize: Purity!
God loves purity: Pure hearts (Matthew 5:8), pure thoughts (Philippians 4:8), and pure marriages (Proverbs 6:27-35). God's words are pure (Psalm 12:6). He required pure gold for his tabernacle (Exodus 25:39). He wants pure devotion (2 Corinthians 11:3), pure conduct (1 Peter 3:2) and pure religion (James 1:27). The reason? Because God is pure (1 John 3:3).
The secret to Washington's purity was Washington's God. The same is true for you and me. The true headwaters of a pure life flow from a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
Keep yourself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22 ESV