As mundane as it is, laundry is a part of my life. Every day I’m met with the familiar list; in the hamper, in the washer, in the dryer, back in the hamper, fold, put away, and repeat. All the while thinking, “when will the cycle end”? Pun intended :)

Last week, something happened. My monotonous task was interrupted by a near heart attack! I opened the dryer door to find a load of whites splattered in red! Was it blood? Was it a small animal caught in the machine?

As I sorted through the stained mess, I found evidence of the culprit. All that was left was a faded label where I could barely make out the word “Red.” I was shocked at the havoc it had caused. A tiny crayon had spread its color across an entire load of onesies, sheets, and towels. I thought I’d placed my laundry in the purity of soap and water, but I’d missed something important. In my haste, I hadn’t noticed the little, waxy fugitive until it was too late. Everything was contaminated.

When God commanded the Israelites to completely destroy the people around them I can’t help but think, wow that’s kinda harsh! And from my New Testament perspective, I’m commanded to handle things pretty differently. We do share some major similarities with our B.C. friends however; we are all prone to contamination.

God called the Israelites to be “set apart,” but as they mingled with other peoples, they fell away from holiness. They began worshiping other gods and doing detestable things (Deut. 20:18). God knew the only way to protect His children was to keep them from allowing anything to contaminate their purity.

Jesus came and changed everything! He tells us to pray for our enemies and forgive! But at the same time, we are also called to protect our hearts and think on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Phil 4:8). Just as God knew the Israelites were easily corrupted, He knows we still must protect our hearts and minds from the ways of this world.