#Jesus22 - Daily DevotionalsSample

"Tidying up and doing the laundry"

Isn't it a wonderful feeling to lie down in bed at night with freshly laundered linens? Or to put on freshly washed and fragrant clothes? Who would start the new day with dirty and smelly underwear? Changing clothes is not only beneficial but also imperative in various settings, such as when germs, bacteria, or viruses could be passed on through clothing. Even in the Bible, it is reported that people afflicted with leprosy had to wash their clothes before they were allowed back into civilization after they had been healed from isolation. In a letter, Paul, the founder of the church, also encouraged the Christians in Ephesus to "put on a new life" as one puts on new clothes. What a fitting image: why should I put on dirty clothes when someone offers to wash them for me? With and through Jesus, we can begin a new life in which old "stains" or even "sin" are washed away.

The term "sin" means nothing more than "missing the goal". God's goal for our lives is that we live in a relationship and close fellowship with Him. Jesus died for all the habits, thoughts, and actions that make a good relationship with Him impossible. Every stain from our life's clothing can be washed away by Jesus. It cost Him everything, and we may accept it as His labor of love. BUT, how annoying is it when you have new, clean clothes and you stain them again at the next best opportunity? So it is one thing to put on the "new clothes" but another to keep them as clean as possible. So it is one thing to ask Jesus for forgiveness of sins. It's another thing to accept that forgiveness and set your life on a new course.

ACTION STEP

The next time you do laundry, consciously take your dirty clothes in your hand as you stuff them into the washing machine. Ask God to show you what "stains" (sin) you are still unconsciously carrying around. Thank Him for His forgiveness as you stuff the laundry into the washing machine. As soon as it is dry, iron it, fold it, and put it in the closet; as you do this, become aware of the habits, thoughts, and failures you have given over to God. Think about what you can do to break out of possible cycles and ask God to help you.