My wife is an awesome cook! One of the ways that she
expresses her love to us is by preparing delicious dishes as part of mouth-watering
and soul satisfying meals. As we all
know, dishes are always a byproduct of cooking a meal, so my wife, who loves a
clean kitchen as well, will wash dishes as she goes along cooking the
meal. I’m the polar opposite. My tendency is to pretty much use every pot,
pan, measuring cup, measuring spoon and seasoning known to man. I scatter them around the countertops while I
go to work on the meal. I usually don’t
even think about cleaning a dish until I’m done eating.
Like my wife, my parents also used to tell me that it is
much easier to clean as you go along than to wait until the end. There were two primary reasons that they said
that this was the wise way to go:
1.
It is easier to clean pots, pans, bowls utensils etc.
while they are still warm or before the food gets a chance to dry up/cool down
and stick to the surface of the item that they have rested on.
2.
The task can appear to be overwhelming if you wait
until the very end to try to clean up.
There will be a mountain of dishes that you’ll have to climb and you won’t
feel like climbing that mountain after you have finished your meal.
This wisdom has so many practical applications. One is in our approach to dealing with our
sin. Our sin manifests itself in so many
ways and if we don’t take an active approach to dealing with it immediately, it
will “pile up”, cause deep lasting “stains” and bond to us making it very
difficult to remove its residue. Some of
the benefits of taking an urgent approach to dealing with our shortcomings are
evidenced in Psalms 32
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he
who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose
sin is covered. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man to whom the
Lord imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept
silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the
day long.4 For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me;
my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and
calmly think of that]! I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not
hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually
unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity
of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! For this
[forgiveness] let everyone who is godly pray—pray to You in a time when You may
be found; surely when the great waters [of trial] overflow, they shall not
reach [the spirit in] him. You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord,
preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of
deliverance”.
When we get serious
about dealing with our faults, are “broken by our brokenness” and are moved to change
through God’s power, like David (the author of the Psalm above), we will be
Blessed, be filled with joy, be overcome by inner peace and we will no longer
have to run or hide from God because we will our find refuge in Him.
Psalm’s 66:18 reminds
us that God doesn’t even entertain our prayers if we try to “hide” unconfessed
sin in our hearts…so what are you waiting for?
It is time to “knock out the soiled dishes” so that they won’t linger,
stain, stink and eventually overwhelm you.
There is no benefit to continuing with destructive habits, “diseased”
relationships, detrimental decisions and a daunting lack of forgiveness that
aims to dominate you. God is ready to
wipe your slate clean, but you have to be willing to bring your “dishes” to
Him.
Are you tired of letting
life’s letdowns pile up? Well it is time
to let Go and to Let God deal with your dirty dishes.
Be Blessed!!!
B
