There’s something in life that will never leave you, something that will always demand your attention. Can you guess what it is? What I’m thinking about isn’t as life-changing as you might think, but it affects us every day.
It’s laundry. Yes, the lesson for today is in the dirty clothes basket.
Laundry will be with us for the rest of our lives. We will never be free from the burden that is laundry. We may discover better or easier ways to do laundry, or find “new and improved detergent,” but laundry will remain a part of our lives from now until we leave this earth.
Forever doing laundry
I feel like I’m forever washing clothes.
Really, washing clothes isn’t a horrible chore… if everyone who threw their clothes into the clothes basket would think about not winding them up in knots or leaving bubble gum and ballpoint pens in their pockets.
As I’m washing clothes, I unwind them, check pockets, sort by color, hang them up (because here in Africa we don’t use the dryer often because it costs a lot to run), and fold. Laundry is constant for me; it reminds me each day that it will always be there, waiting.
Keep it clean
Just as we work to keep our clothes clean every day, we also work to keep our spiritual lives clean by doing our spiritual laundry.
The continuous tense of the word “wash” in this verse suggests that we are always to be mindful of keeping everything right between us and our Lord. This doesn’t mean we should live in fear of making mistakes or walk on eggshells all the time. It simply means that we recognize we are “but dust” (see Genesis 18:27), which naturally implies we are prone to becoming “dusty.” The laundry needs to be done.
God’s grace, the ultimate detergent
Take time today to wash off the dust from yesterday. Laundry will be with us for a long time. But that’s not something to be concerned about, because our Father helps us wash away the stains of the past if we let Him. Let Him use His “new and improved” laundry detergent that is full of His grace; it can wash out any stain.
But - When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7 (NLT)
Laundry, spiritual and physical, is a constant in life. Each load reminds us that God’s grace is the ultimate detergent, cleansing us over and over, making the worn new again, and preparing us for the coming day.
