|
 
While serving with the Army in Germany I worked with a lot of young
helicopter pilots, most of whom were single. The discussions in the
Pilot’s Ready Room often centered on issues affecting single
men. There was one particular single guy who always looked as though
he had just crawled out of bed, you know, with wrinkled clothes and
a ragged appearance. One day the conversation centered on the L
word; LAUNDRY. He said how much he hated doing laundry and that he
had decided he just wasn’t going to do it. It became clearer to us
why his personal hygiene had become an issue among the other
pilots. He related how he had decided to spend extra money on
clothes and then wear them as long as possible. In his apartment he
had selected the second bedroom floor as clothes-hamper and just
threw all dirty clothes in there! That way, he only had to wash (or
pay someone else to do it) when the atmosphere became unacceptable,
about once every few months. I remember one time when he threw away
a three-month collection of dirty underwear and bought all new ones!
I know that sounded disgusting but don’t we do the same thing with
un-confessed sin? It’s a lot like unwashed laundry; after awhile
everyone around you can begin to tell. The longer you allow laundry
or un-confessed sin to build up in your life the more difficult it
is to commit yourself to address the problem. Somehow, you start
learning to live with it and at some point you just don’t notice it
anymore. God notices but He never sees so much that He can’t or
won’t forgive. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” God leaves the first step to us, the admission
that our sin is a problem and our confession. He then keeps His
promise and washes us white as snow, Isaiah 1:18. Remember 2
Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Common Sense Application
1. Develop the habit of IMMEDIATE
confession. Wherever you are, driving (don’t close your eyes!), at
work, on vacation, wherever... obey the direction given in 1
Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
2. Find a Christian friend to be your
accountability partner/prayer partner. Call them when you find
yourself drifting into a buildup of un-confessed sin. Ask them to
pray with and for you.
3. As far as laundry goes, find the proper
settings on your machine for ‘light’ loads and wash often or go to
the Laundromat often. Some people actually use their washing machine
as a laundry hamper! Be careful, though, about mixing whites and
colors in the same load, unless you like the rainbow look!
|
