CLEANING OUT THE FILTER

For the past week, my washing machine has not been working properly.  It would beep incessantly and then display an error code.  It was also not draining properly, leaving puddles of water after the cycle was over and an overall foul smell.  I made my best effort to fix it myself, but unfortunately, I’m not very mechanically inclined and did not know where to look for the source of the problem.  When the repairman came out today, he pulled a filter out of my washing machine that I didn’t even know existed.  He said it’s what helps keep out foreign objects, dirt, dust, and debris from the clothes that we put in the washing machine.  I’ve honestly never seen something so nasty looking that also smelled awful!  Apparently, this clump of nastiness was preventing dirty water from properly draining from the washing machine, causing it to stop mid-cycle multiple times.

When I took a step back and reflected on the situation, it occurred to me that all too often, our hearts and minds can be filled with the dirty things of this world.  When God looks inside each of us, He can see how polluted we have become through the negative influences we’ve allowed to clog our spirit.  But, just as I couldn’t clean out the filter on my washer myself, sometimes we need the help of a fellow believer to help purify our soul.  James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”  However, we must also seek forgiveness from the Father and ask Him to give us power through the Holy Spirit to sin no more.  Psalms 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

During this time of prayer and fasting, God is calling us to clean out the nasty, smelly pile of sin that is polluting our hearts and minds.  He wants us to draw closer to Him, so He can draw closer to us.  It’s time to have a clean filter.  It’s time to eliminate the sin in our lives.  It’s time to seek forgiveness.