Cleanliness is Next to Godliness – Essay 1
Cleanliness refers to the aspect of someone staying clean both physically and mentally. Being clean in these two areas has been attributed to a persons’ character and also their spirituality.
The phrase ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ has hence been used by many religions in the world to illustrate that the first step to having a Godly life is to be clean both on the outside and on the inside.
In order to maintain both internal and external cleanliness, you have to consider the following steps.
Steps taken to maintain cleanliness
- The first step to maintain physical cleanliness is to ensure that you intake a lot of water. Water in the body helps to get rid of toxins and waste. It will also help you beat the fat that has accumulated in the skin tissue. Water also leaves you feeling more energetic and refreshed.
- You should also ensure that you take daily exercises that will help you remain strong and healthy. Exercises will also help you get rid of fat and waste in the body through sweating.
- You can also maintain mental cleanliness by taking time to meditate. This will help you relax your mind and relieve stress and anxiety. It will meditation will also act as a source of positivity in your life.
- You can ensure physical cleanliness through maintaining personal hygiene. This includes practices like taking daily showers, brushing the teeth regularly and washing our hands before eating our foods.
- You can also maintain cleanliness by eating healthy foods. This includes foods like vegetables and fruits. This will ensure that you maintain an ideal body weight which contributes to better health.
- Cleanliness is also maintained through getting adequate rest. Getting enough sleep will ensure that your body remains energetic and you remain productive and more focused.
- You can also achieve cleanliness by cleaning your surroundings. This is achieved through collecting trash and cleaning our homes.
Importance of cleanliness
- Maintaining cleanliness helps in the prevention of diseases. Some of these diseases include typhoid, cholera hepatitis, etc. these diseases occur as a result of lack of clean surroundings.
- Maintaining cleanliness also greatly contributes towards your religious or spiritual life. This is due to the fact that most religions believe that before worship, purifying oneself is important.
- Lack of cleanliness also contributes to environmental pollution. This is through the spread of trash and garbage.
- Maintaining mental cleanliness through acts like meditation will ensure that we are able to maintain high levels of mental health. This is through reduced levels of stress and anxiety.
- Cleanliness also makes our bodies more energetic and refreshed. We are hence able to become more productive and focused in our work.
- When you are living in a clean environment, your psychological health improves as a result. Maintaining personal hygiene and cleaning our surrounding leads to a more cheerful individual.
- Maintaining a clean healthy mind will ensure that we are able to avoid evil thoughts and planning evil. When we mediate and regularly exercise our minds, we do away with an idle mind which contributes to sinful life.
- Maintaining cleanliness will give you a sense of belonging and well being. This is achieved by leading a happier and healthier life.
- Maintaining cleanliness also improves our relationships with other people. People become friendlier to people who maintain a decent level of physical and mental cleanliness.
- Maintaining cleanliness habits such as eating healthy foods and fruits contributes to radiant and healthier skin.
Conclusion
Cleanliness is a virtue that every human being should strive to uphold. Maintain a clean physical and mental environment will contribute massively to a more established and fulfilled life. Cleanliness also contributes to lowered mortality rates as illnesses contributed by unclean surrounding are avoided.
By Mary
Cleanliness is next to godliness – Essay 2
Cleanliness is next to Godliness means that self-cleaning is a significant factor in every religion and traditions. One can never deny the importance of this point.
Life is incomplete without clean-self. It is a very famous proverb and relates to 1600. Ever since then, “Cleanliness is next to godliness” is currently one of the aptest proverbs for India with the ‘Swachha Bharat Abhiyan’ gaining momentum and awareness. Cleanliness gives a feeling of space and openness and adds to the joy.
A dirty place, on the other hand, is very uninviting. It is also unhygienic and a breeding ground for diseases. In the past, many epidemics have taken countless lives due to the absence of hygiene, the town of Surat being one of the victims of the plague two decades ago.
Levels of Cleanliness
Cleanliness is practiced at three levels
Self: A clean body leads to a fresh mind and organized thoughts. Regular bathing and other hygienic habits like washing hands regularly, dental hygiene, ears, hair, etc., lead to better health. Bathing makes one feel fresh and helps better concentration.
Home: Keeping one’s home clean by regularly sweeping and dusting it is done at a daily level. Periodically clean your storage areas in the kitchen or wardrobes, and bathrooms. Keeping the dustbins covered will keep many kinds of flies away.
External surroundings
Always dispose of trash in its assigned place. If you don’t find a dustbin, hold on to the trash till you come across one. When you sweep your house, do not throw the dust outside. If you clean the leaves from your garden, dispose of them off properly rather than throwing the garbage on the road.
A clean city, a clean country is a big step towards development and requires a will that is close to godliness.
Types of cleaning
There are two types of cleanliness:
1. Spiritual Cleaning: This is required for the moral issues of a specific person. It cleans the inner of an individual and reflects its values to the other people in his life. Practicing makes it perfect and relates more to the soul of your body.
2. Physical Cleaning: This is a prevalent type and is basic in every person’s life. It means the proper hygiene and cleaning of all your body and clothes. Your hair should be clean and tied up properly.
Conclusion
So every person on this earth should clean him or herself. Without cleaning, you look dirty, and society will not accept you. It must be part of your everyday routine. Take a shower on a daily basis, trim your nails and cut your hair properly. Cleanliness is the point which differs animals and humans. So make sure to include it.
By Teamwork
Cleanliness is next to godliness – Essay 3
Introduction
Cleanliness can be looked at in two perspectives. First, it is the state of being clean as in absent of dirt or germs. Secondly, it is the practice of being clean and maintaining the neat state.
Cleanliness has traditionally been associated with spiritual purity in the sense that a clean person is automatically thought to be a good person. The relevance of cleanliness in our everyday life is very evident particularly in one’s health.
The relationship between outward cleanliness and spiritual purity is the idea behind the statement cleanliness is next to godliness.
Origin of the phrase cleanliness is next to godliness
This followed the recording of a sermon by John Wesley, in 1778. It is however traced back to the Babylonian as well as the Hebrew tracts. Wesley was the founder of Methodism. In his sermon, John Wesley quoted, “Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.” In the Hebrew and Babylonian context however, the cleanliness of one’s mind and body was perceived to be in close associating to the spirit of God.
Why cleanliness is next to godliness
- This phrase is owed to the belief that the spirit of God is believed to be in favor of a clean state of mind and body. The state of being clean is consequently a sign of spiritual purity or rather, goodness.
- To have a clean mind, one that does not plot evil against others and is pure in terms of thought, and to be physically clean on the body is characteristic of what godliness is about.
- In the Hebrew and Babylonian context, the spirit of God was believed to dwell in clean places that is why the Hebrews were taught on keeping their bodies clean as it was the temple of God.
- Cleanliness could mean righteousness or holiness which are godly states of the heart and mind in a biblical sense.
- Creation was orderly, hence clean. God is therefore brought out or depicted as a God of order hence clean and therefore cleanliness.
- Cleanliness has an aspect of purity. To be pure means that you are free of contamination and this is basically godly.
Importance of cleanliness in our surrounding environment
- Good health is mostly a result of keeping the body and the environment clean. The opposite of cleanliness harbors germs which cause diseases and infections.
- Cleanliness also makes people like us. Being dirty gives the image of being a bad person hence people try as much as possible to avoid it.
- A clean environment also gives the impression that we are responsible and disciplined individuals which is good.
- It is easier to think in a clean environment because there are no distractions or obstructions.
- There are less or no accidents at all when the environment and surrounding is clean.
- A clean environment is comfortable and provides ambiance and peace of mind which is very precious to human beings.
How can we maintain a clean environment in our school?
- Being responsible is the principle way of maintaining a clean environment because then people would always know what to do the right thing and would always do that.
- Putting up trash cans in accessible places will make it easier to dispose off wastes rightfully.
- Students should not write on desks and tables as this gives the impression of uncleanliness.
- Arranging desks and tables after class also makes for a clean and orderly class.
- Classes should be cleaned preferably on a daily basis as this reduces the chances of getting sick.
- Cleaning the board will also do well for a clean environment in school. It makes the class look neat and orderly.
How to maintain a clean environment in our surroundings
- Burning plastic because they are not degradable is important. It helps keep the environment or surrounding free of pollution.
- Motors using safe fuel are also a way through which the surrounding environment can be maintained.
- Setting up laws against environmental pollution will also be very instrumental in keeping the environment clean.
- Making sure that there are no oil spillages or accidents in the water bodies will also help keep the marine environment clean.
Conclusion
It is important to keep the environment clean. This is because the environment forms nature and nature is what feeds and homes mankind as well as animals. Cleanliness extended to the environment will make it more productive and this will always make for growth. Cleanliness of body and of the environment is directly related. When one is responsible about their own body, it will automatically extend to their home then to the surrounding environment.
By Mary
Last updated: February 21 , 2019