Gina Parcells, She Speaks Conference Graduate
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
Laundry … I’m running another load right now. It seems like once I have washed, dried, folded, and put away the clothes, I discover someone has slipped yet another dirty item into the hamper. The thing about laundry is, its just never-ending.
I’ve considered taking a sabbatical from the never-ending task, but I’m certain it would accumulate into a heap causing a pervasive stench in my house. Then, I’d hear grumbling from the masses about how they have nothing to wear and, of course, I would cave. My sabbatical would ultimately lead to my own panic as I surveyed the overflowing hampers.
So, no laundry sabbatical for me. Instead, I accept the need to wash clothes regularly. And I do it. It’s better for everyone that way.
You know, God has that constant laundering thing going on too, except He’s cleansing our hearts instead of our clothes. I’m sure He would rather we not dirty our hearts with sin, but He knows we do and He is always willing, day or night, to cleanse us.
The problem is sometimes I’m unwilling to put my stinky garments in His hamper to be washed. I have favorite sins, like favorite shirts, that I’m resistant to take off. Sometimes, I just wear my sin day in and day out, and the idea of confessing it and asking for grace doesn’t even cross my mind. It’s like He has a pile of clean clothes ready to go, but I walk right past them.
Fortunately for us, God never takes a cleaning sabbatical, and He doesn’t get overwhelmed when our sin hampers seem filled to capacity. In fact, you can dump ten loads of sin in front of Him and He’ll wash them all. He’s a pro with the delicate cycle. If we can mess it up, He can clean it up ... we just have to ask. As our key verse states, if we confess, He will faithfully forgive.
Dear Lord, I confess to You _________. Thank You for Your faithfulness to cleanse me now, and every single time I come to You. Please help me to recognize my sin and to remember to seek Your forgiveness daily. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear by Max Lucado
Daily Prayer Journal
Do You Know Him?
Application Steps:
Read Psalm 32 as if you wrote it to God.
Spend time asking the Lord to search your heart and reveal if there is any offensive way in your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Use these times of listening and confession as a regular part of your prayer time each morning.
Reflections:
What keeps me from regularly confessing my sin?
What can I use as a trigger to remind me to spend time confessing my sin everyday?
Power Verses:
Psalm 51:2-4, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.” (NIV)
Psalm 51:10, 12, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (NIV)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
Laundry … I’m running another load right now. It seems like once I have washed, dried, folded, and put away the clothes, I discover someone has slipped yet another dirty item into the hamper. The thing about laundry is, its just never-ending.
I’ve considered taking a sabbatical from the never-ending task, but I’m certain it would accumulate into a heap causing a pervasive stench in my house. Then, I’d hear grumbling from the masses about how they have nothing to wear and, of course, I would cave. My sabbatical would ultimately lead to my own panic as I surveyed the overflowing hampers.
So, no laundry sabbatical for me. Instead, I accept the need to wash clothes regularly. And I do it. It’s better for everyone that way.
You know, God has that constant laundering thing going on too, except He’s cleansing our hearts instead of our clothes. I’m sure He would rather we not dirty our hearts with sin, but He knows we do and He is always willing, day or night, to cleanse us.
The problem is sometimes I’m unwilling to put my stinky garments in His hamper to be washed. I have favorite sins, like favorite shirts, that I’m resistant to take off. Sometimes, I just wear my sin day in and day out, and the idea of confessing it and asking for grace doesn’t even cross my mind. It’s like He has a pile of clean clothes ready to go, but I walk right past them.
Fortunately for us, God never takes a cleaning sabbatical, and He doesn’t get overwhelmed when our sin hampers seem filled to capacity. In fact, you can dump ten loads of sin in front of Him and He’ll wash them all. He’s a pro with the delicate cycle. If we can mess it up, He can clean it up ... we just have to ask. As our key verse states, if we confess, He will faithfully forgive.
Dear Lord, I confess to You _________. Thank You for Your faithfulness to cleanse me now, and every single time I come to You. Please help me to recognize my sin and to remember to seek Your forgiveness daily. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear by Max Lucado
Daily Prayer Journal
Do You Know Him?
Application Steps:
Read Psalm 32 as if you wrote it to God.
Spend time asking the Lord to search your heart and reveal if there is any offensive way in your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Use these times of listening and confession as a regular part of your prayer time each morning.
Reflections:
What keeps me from regularly confessing my sin?
What can I use as a trigger to remind me to spend time confessing my sin everyday?
Power Verses:
Psalm 51:2-4, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.” (NIV)
Psalm 51:10, 12, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (NIV)
Labels: Forgiveness, Purity, Spiritual Growth
11 Comments:
That was AWESOME! I think I'll think about that every time I do laundry just to have another half a load that I could do when I am all "finished!" Thanks!
I really wanted to thank you for writing this. Today is my laundry day, and I always dread it. It is my least favorite thing to do, because just as you said, it is never ending. As I do laundry today I will be reflecting on God washing me the way that I wash the clothes. I will now enjoy the bible lesson I get with washing clothes! Thank you so much for some much needed encouragement!
I, too, do not like to laundry. However, I found a solution to it years ago. When my children were old enough to reach the dials on the washing machine, then I knew it was TIME to teach them how to do their OWN laundry! I NEVER got the "MOM, where's my favorite shirt that I HAVE to wear tonight?" If it wasn't clean, it wasn't my fault. Then I chose ONE day of the week to do MY laundry (then I'm done for the week), and everyone else could plan what they wanted to do regarding their laundry around my day. Maybe we used more water and more detergent, but my kids know how to do their own laundry (even my son!)
Thanks for the reminder to go before Him daily. I do laundry almost every day, so what a great analogy and reminder!
How clever is our God Gina!! I'll never look at doing laundry the same! I love that He revealed to you something GRAND for a mundane task! HE SURE LOVES US WOMEN AND UNDERSTANDS US DOESN'T HE!!! *.*
It's laundry day here and this analogy was EXCELLENT! Thanks for making me look at it a different way and I'm headed to tell my children (who are doing it with me) your analogy! Thanks!
Courtney
http://www.womenlivingwell.org
This is so true! I have a load of laundry just waiting to be put away and to fold the next one. It won't happen until I do it, just like God, you are right, it will keep piling up until we give it to Him to deal with. I guess I too better just accept the laundry saga. With God I can get excited about a cleansed heart, but it is just as much work as laundry isn't it? The reward is much better though. :)
I just had to write - I was off to do a load of laundry, but I thought I would first check the Proverbs 31 devotion!...
What a beautifully written teaching about God's cleansing and forgiveness!
Blessings to you,
Karen
This has been an awesome site I cant tell you how much it helps me with the devotions and prayers. Every time I do laundry now I definetly will have a reminder to think of him.
What a wonderful analogy. I am sharing this on my blog today because it really hit home with me. It seems that many of us have a favorite shirt that we don't want to take off and give to God. I seem to get so involved in everything else during the day that I don't take the time to "do the laundry". Thanks for the reminder that laundry is a wonderful thing and a blessing from God!
www.sunflowersathome.blogspot.com
A woman's work is never done or is it. One day all those little ones you care about represented by dirty underware and dirty shirts won't require your help washing their clothes....treasure these years and these tasks. You will miss them when they are gone....yes, even dirty laundry.
God's work with us is never done however. On our death bed we will still require His washing. Praise God!!! HE is never too tired to do His work.
My blog is a devotional at inclined2analyze.blogspot.com
God Bless
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