Beige or White

This morning while I was in the shower, I pulled back the curtain and started scrubbing the edge where you step over into it. I was surprised to see how dirty it had gotten. It seems that the dust and humidity united into a film over the tile. It has been easy to not notice the accumulation, since the tile is beige. It blended right in and it's not at eye level. It wasn't until I started scrubbing that I was able to see how much lighter the true color of the tile really was. I was more surprised to see that there were even flecks of white.

As I watched the subtle transformation, it reminded me of the discovery of our sins. Like dust, we seldom see the sin around us. It often blends right in to our every day.  In fact before we come to Christ there are usually so many things that we never truly even see as sin or even an offense. The thing is so common to us in media, society, in our own thoughts, amongst our peers and to the world that 'it' might seem like dust on beige. The offenses aren't always dirty enough to be an obvious contrast.

In our willingness to either look at God or deal with our "big sin" we often become more aware of some of the smaller offenses. We become able to see how much we are still so covered with sin, but God reveals it in a way that we are able to see the purity and beauty that we are truly made with underneath. It encourages us to to go deeper and to dig more. It makes us less afraid to look at some of the old stuff while we're discovering the new. 

And just like that film developed on the ledge, our hearts are susceptible in the same way. While it is God that purifies; our obedience is the application. When God prompts us, if we turn away, a similar film develops and our hearts also become hardened. Where as if we allow him to work, we begin to see or we can continue the restoration.

While I want to say that nothing feels as good as being clean, I'd rather say nothing feels as refreshing as being visible. Exposed. Being able to stand before God all flaws and gifts together in one offering.

In Psalm 51 David began feeling the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba.  David prayed and asked God to give him a pure heart. He repented of the sins that he knew that he had committed but prayed for a deeper restoration. It wasn't just lip service, he desired the change. What do you ask for when you pray? Is it to change your circumstance or to change you? Is it to fix the problem or reveal God?

Or what about our pool of faith? How many of us step in every day but instead of seeing a difference it too seems dull or beige. Having faith is not so much about scrubbing ourselves to be clean. But in order to see a transformation, there is a willingness and a discipline and a desire that must be applied.

If you struggle with any of those three, take a moment to talk to God about that. Read David's prayer and offer a similar one of your own. Ask God to help you change your heart. In time, you too might find yourself having devotion, even in mundane little tasks like scrubbing the shower. No books or pens necessary.

Blessings to you friend!