What do a clogged drain & sin have in common?
Recently, I noticed the water in my shower wasn’t draining properly. It had been progressively getting worse and worse over the last few weeks. Yesterday it clogged completely. So, I decided to investigate. Removing the metal drain cover on the floor of the shower, I peered down. I saw a ball of hair/guck. Taking care not push it down and make the situation worse, I managed (with a few tools) to pull it up and out, all of it! It was the size of a tennis ball! Thankfully, the problem is solved, and the water drains normally again.
As I finished up the job, a thought occurred to me. Sin is like that guck. If we allow it into our life, and fail to confess and forsake it, it has a way of clogging our fellowship with God. When the pipes of our fellowship with God get clogged by sinful behavior and attitudes, the result is always negative for us.
One of the ways that sin harms our fellowship with God is that it obstructs the joy of the Lord from flowing to us! You may recall what King David said, after he committed adultery and then murder. He kept his sins secret for about 8 months. When he finally confessed it and repented of it, he prayed this prayer to the LORD:
Psalm 51:12 – “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”
He wasn’t talking about his salvation being restored, because that can’t be lost. He says “restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” He had lost his joy. He had lost that happiness that comes from uninterrupted fellowship and closeness with God. Yet, when the thing clogging his fellowship with God was unplugged, his joy was restored. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).
When we mourn over our sin, asking the forgiveness of Jesus, we can experience the comfort (relief) of having our sin forgiven and our fellowship with God restored.
Since Jesus died on the cross to bear our sins, and rose again in victory over sin, we enter into his victory as we come to him in faith. Just like a drain doesn’t clog just once in a lifetime, and needs regular cleaning, repentance isn’t a one-time thing when we come to Christ; it is meant to be an ongoing thing in the life of a believer.
Yesterday was a day in the church calendar known as Reformation Day, so named in honor of the Protestant Reformation, sparked by Martin Luther over 500 years ago. Interestingly, when Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church of Wittenberg, in 1517, he began with these words: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”
The Christian life isn’t comfortable and convenient. It’s an uphill battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The problem is, we want an easy walk in the park. However, the Christian life is more like a hike up a steep mountain than a stroll in the park. The same Lord that promises benefits to us who believe in him also commands us to deny our (sinful) self, take up our cross, and follow him (see Matthew 16:24). When we do that, we end up operating the way God intended for us, maximizing our fellowship and joy.
If you are anything like me, I know for sure that I am much happier when my shower drain is unclogged and working as it should. May that be our experience in our spiritual lives today!
