Dirty Fork

About two weeks ago, my wife and I were eating in a restaurant.  I picked up the wrapped silverware and unrolled it.  To my dismay, the fork was absolutely nasty!  It looked like it had some egg stuck between the tines.  I called the waiter over, showed him the fork, and he got me a new set of utensils.  I felt like leaving the place!  If that was an example of their cleanliness, what went on back in the kitchen?!  The apostle Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:20, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”   A great analogy!  The difference is that the fork can’t clean itself; someone must clean it.  But WE can cleanse ourselves; we can purge ourselves from bad things.  Whether we are Sunday dinnerware or Monday plastic sporks from Bojangles, we need to be clean.  I would rather use a clean plastic fork from McDonald’s than a dirty silver fork from an upscale restaurant.  We should want to be clean so that the dear Lord can use us.  I want to be used of God.  Do you?