Go Clean Your Mustache

I love the illustrative story about a grandpa and grandma who went to visit their grandchildren.

Each afternoon Grandpa would lie down for a nap. One day, as a practical joke, the kids decided to put Limburger cheese spread in his mustache. Soon after, he awoke sniffing. “Why, this room stinks!” he exclaimed as he got up and went out into the kitchen. He wasn’t there long until he decided that the kitchen smelled too, so he walked outdoors for a breath of fresh air. Much to Grandpa’s surprise, the open air brought no relief, and he proclaimed “The whole world stinks!!”

Sometimes we walk through this life and we have issues. We can’t really figure out what the problem is, we just know everything stinks. 

Maybe we have interpersonal issues with a lot of people. Conflict just seems to follow us around. No matter what we say, everyone takes it wrong. They’re too sensitive. They just don’t want to hear the truth. They can’t take a joke.

Every activity, event, or gathering “could’ve been better”. The food was just okay. The music was too loud. There were too many people. The decorations were cheap. The seats were uncomfortable. The temperature was too cold/hot/humid. They should’ve asked me to help.

Nothing we own is good enough. Our couch is a sinkhole. Our carpet is too thin. Our bed is uncomfortable. Our car makes weird noises. Our clothes are old and unfashionable. Our shoes hurt our feet. Our tv is too small. 

Sometimes in life we are suffering from the Limburger Cheese Syndrome. The whole world stinks, but we don’t realize the problem is with US! We’ve got stinky cheese affecting our perception of people and the world around us. It doesn’t really matter HOW the cheese got there. The fact that we LEAVE it there is the problem. 

Maybe instead of finding fault in everyone/everything, we should just go clean our mustache. 

If grandpa had taken the time to even look in the mirror, he surely would’ve seen the lump of cheese in his mustache, and could’ve cleaned it off so much sooner, instead of thinking everything stunk for so long.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 103:2-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
(3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
(4) Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
(5) Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

James 1:22-26 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
(23) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
(24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
(25) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
(26) If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.