The Man Without a Duster — Living a messy life
Introduction
Recently, my girlfriend Nicole and I visited the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, Florida, where we live. The attraction opened in 1964 with detailed wax figures of the thirty-six presidents. The centerpiece of this attraction today is the enormous 60-foot model of the white house by John Zweifel. Nicole and I both love museums and these kinds of unique roadside attractions. Unfortunately, after 60 years of operation, the building and exhibits are dingy and decayed. Those who can look beyond these details and embrace the unique charm of this attraction will truly enjoy it; otherwise, it is not for you. But this post is not about the Presidents Hall of Fame, but about a man without a duster.
The man without a duster
During our nearly hour-long trip, we were two of only a few visitors, but there was one gentleman who stood out to us. This individual repeatedly roamed through the exhibits, sharing president facts and jokes every time our paths crossed. Far from annoying, his enthusiasm added to the charm. His familiarity and comfort with the location, and the lady at the front desk, made us wonder if he was an employee. I looked around at the disrepair of the exhibits and the thick layer of dust, and this man’s lack of action puzzled me. How can he love this place so much but not even carry a duster? Had he become so callous to the mess that he no longer saw what surrounded him? As an outsider, it seemed obvious to me what needed to be cleaned and repaired. How could someone become blind to the mess?
We do the same thing in our spiritual and emotional lives. Overtime we become blind to the mess, decay, and disrepair in our lives. Onlookers puzzle over our duster-less lifestyle. This is one thing that makes being vulnerable and allowing others into our lives so difficult. When an outsider comes into our lives, they will show us all our mess and decay, which is overwhelming and painful.
God does not want you to be a mess
As the Holy Spirit shows the mess in my life, I tend to either justify and minimize my sin or succumb to shame and self-loathing; scripture shows God desires neither. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul writes, “godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation … whereas worldly grief produces death.” Godly grief will lead us to turn from our sins and find salvation in Jesus. The reason Jesus came is so that we would be saved from death by placing our faith in him. Unlike a thief who kills and destroys, Jesus tells us that “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The Apostle John, in his first epistle, says:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God does not want us to remain in our sin. He wants to wash away our mess so that we can live an abundant life through Jesus.
Upcoming articles will further examine verses from 1 John. We will better understand God’s love for us in repentance and sanctification. Like the man in the President’s Hall of Fame, lying about or ignoring the mess is unhelpful. We should not feel hopeless that we will stay a mess.
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