Pile Up!!!

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