I’ve never been the home maker who enjoys cleaning. Not ever. I do it because I should, but its the least favorite detail in my job description. Its not that I don’t care. I do, I really do. I just have other things I enjoy more. Like baking. or just about anything else. Suffice it to say, I’m always prepared to move cleaning to the bottom of my to-do list.
In particular there is my kitchen sink. It is a lovely, ivory – colored, sink. But after all of the many years of use, it is scarred and scraped on the bottom. I have tried to figure out who thought ivory would be a good choice for a kitchen sink. It was probably a man who does not do the dishes very often. I tell you I have scrubbed and scrubbed and cleaned and scrubbed some more. But, no matter what I do, within moments of sparkly satisfaction – it is dull and grimy again.
And please don’t make suggestions. I have tried them all. Ceramabrite, Barkeeper’s friend, Lysol kitchen and bathroom spray, Mr. Clean, plain old Clorox, Scrub Free, 409; you name it, I have used it. I promise.
The problem is I use my sink. So no matter how much cleaning goes on, there is always cooking and eating happening in my kitchen which means the basin will be dirty shortly, if it isn’t already.
In a perfect world, there would be a cleaning solution that kept things clean always, so I wouldn’t have to work so hard…
As I had these thoughts this morning, up to my elbows in suds in my kitchen, I came to a realization about my own heart. It is very similar to my sink. Often it is filthy with sin. When I take note of it all, almost subconsciously I set about cleaning. Somewhere along the line I began to believe that I can better myself, so, out comes my scrub brush of lofty, humanistic ideals along with my cleaning solution of good works and I get started on the task at hand. After all, I’m responsible for my guilt and my sin aren’t I? Surely I need to do something to be absolved of it all… Oh how much I do, solely as an effort to gain favor with God, hoping the stains of guilt will be removed…
But that is the opposite of the truth from God’s word. It is impossible for me to live, on this side of the fall, without sin. I can not, by my own handiwork, make myself clean. “There is none righteous, no not one!” But the good news of the Gospel is this: I am made clean by His work on the cross and the blood that He shed. My heart is thoroughly cleansed by the washing and regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Its the ultimate in Scrub Free. His cleansing is the only possible solution that allows me to be free of all my guilt-ridden works.
How I love this significant reminder in Ephesians 2. I think its one of my favorite passages of all…
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
No more scouring. No more laboring for favor. Cleaning my heart no longer has a place on my to-do list. I am free indeed to live the life He has called me to live, by the power of the Holy spirit who has made me clean. hallelujah and amen!
daily portion 