"Life's messy. Clean it up!"

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You know when you're cleaning the house and you just want to be done and relax, but there is this one stubborn spot of junk that just won't come off the counter or pan or whatever it is...

I hate that. Don't you?

 

You scrub and you scrub, and this piece of gunk just won't come up.

You soak it, you scrub up and down, side to side, and who knows, maybe you get so frustrated that you have to call out the big guy, Mr. Clean.

What looked like a small and menial task, became a seemingly unending and arduous effort.

How could something so small, grow to be something so challenging?

 

 Maybe it just had the right combination of crud to create a frustrating mess or maybe it's because we took too long to confront it.

I'm going to bet that it's most likely the latter or maybe a combination.

Instead of passing by and saying, "I'll do it later", it would make things easier to confront it quickly.

 

It reminds me of those moments in life where we know we should confront an issue, but we just put it off due to fear and uncertainty. Maybe we are facing difficulties in a relationship or maybe we are facing an issue within ourselves.

For me, I realize that my patience could use some working on, but to be honest, it's easier to push it aside rather than coming face to face with my issue.

The problem is, with every push, the gunk [issue] grows and hardens, making it even more difficult to get rid of.

 

Peter says in Acts 3:19, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" Repent in Greek is "metanoeo" which means "to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins." In order to change one's mind, he/she has to confront the issue first. I think confronting is the hardest part. Sometimes we may have to confront it often, in order for us to change and turn away from the sin.

 

Looking at that clump of gunk and saying "I'm gonna get rid of you!" can prevent us from getting deeper and deeper into a mess of problems. Sometimes persistence may be necessary. Sometimes looking at it from a different angle may help. Sometimes seeking help from others might be a good idea. Don't forget though, calling on the big guy, (not Mr. Clean) but God, can be the best thing we can do.

It may not be fun to scrub up gunk, but it's not worth it to ignore.

 Like the famous vacuum company, Bissell, says, "Life's messy. Clean it up!"

 

 This week our Bible reading is:

Lamentations 1-Ezekiel 15

 

 

 

Day 17 In Him we find...

You know when you have an issue in your life and you just can't seem to figure out what to do? Well, that's where family members and friends come in, right? We pick up the phone and ask for advice. Searching for answers from a loved one comes easy for us. There's nothing wrong with that, don't get me wrong, but let me ask you this, what makes you think they are going to give you the perfect advice? Whatever your reason may be or maybe now you are starting to rethink your friend's counsel, let me remind you that all of us humans, are not perfect. Don't freak out though! I know just the right person that is going to give you the best advice out there...

that's right, God.

 

Because our hearts can be deceitful and our brains, well, they aren't always the sharpest (I know mine isn't...thanks Lyme brain), we should seek counsel from the One who knows everything. The Bible, His word, is a great place to start when seeking advice. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB) says, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." It says it right there. The Bible can help us with whatever we are facing. Whether we need to learn or be corrected, God wants us to seek His word because it's His own life manual for us. The book of Proverbs talks a lot about wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 (NASB) says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." Psalms 33:11 (NASB) says, "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation." Not to mention, even before Jesus was born, it was prophesied that He would be called "wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6)". That's pretty cool, if you ask me. So why is it that when we have a problem, we talk to our friends before we even talk to the One who created us? I wonder how that makes Him feel. Hmm...something to think about.

In Him we find wise counsel.

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I challenge you to seek God's counsel first.

You may not get an answer right away, but be patient...He'll give you counsel in His timing, whether it be through His word, discernment or through someone.

 

Today's scripture is John 19-21.