CHRISTmas lingers here at Little Halley. The tree is by now, admittedly a fire hazard. After weeks of preparation, the season has come and gone in a flash. The house is quiet, except for howling wind and the wild waves crashing in the distance. I will light the candles for a few more days, and ration the last bit of fruitcake, reliving moments I was perhaps too busy to fully enjoy. Memory is among the greatest gifts...
I thought we had sufficiently recovered from the joyful invasion...until I changed the liner in the rubbish bin. Ugh. "How long has it been like that?" I asked myself. Blushing with embarrassment. I was sickened at the thought of how many times guests had opened the cabinet door to reveal THIS!
The sides of the 'stainless' bin were streaked with drips of dried gravy and who knows what else. It was a multi-colored MESS! There were enough assorted crumbs in the bottom of the cabinet to feed a family of mice for a week!
The sides of the 'stainless' bin were streaked with drips of dried gravy and who knows what else. It was a multi-colored MESS! There were enough assorted crumbs in the bottom of the cabinet to feed a family of mice for a week!
The bin looking a bit better... It will come as no great surprise that it did not smell very good. Immediate action was required. As I grabbed the sponge and the spray bottle I realized there was a lesson to be learned from the rubbish bin.
"Your life can be a bit like that..." I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking...
"Your life can be a bit like that..." I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking...
The modern message of the Gospel is characterized by grace, mercy and forgiveness. We revel in the freedom Christ won for us on the cross, and as a result we are sloppy in dealing with sin! How often have I been convicted of a sinful thought or action and tossed it aside a bit too carelessly? Unless I deal thoroughly with sin it will spill over into my life, sticking to my soul like gluey gravy.
"Be holy as I am holy." An impossible mandate, but for the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and a willingness to cooperate!
"Be holy as I am holy." An impossible mandate, but for the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and a willingness to cooperate!
Charles Finney, author of "Lectures on Revival," suggests that our sins are committed one by one. Each sin is a painful offense to the One who saved us. A generalized confession of sin will not do...we must take the time to allow the Spirit to convict us. We will be conformed to the image of Christ as we put to death the deeds of the flesh and renew our minds and actions in the power of the Spirit.
The church is weak and sick because we are wallowing in the mud. Lord, help us remember the lesson of the rubbish bin.
The church is weak and sick because we are wallowing in the mud. Lord, help us remember the lesson of the rubbish bin.
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