Recently, a
couple of sunny days revealed that cat sneeze spatters the lower part of our
sliding glass doors, fingerprints near the handle blur my vision, and nose smudges
blot the glass at eye level. The view of outdoors is limited and distorted by
these marks and some of them are hard to get off.
Like
stubborn smears on glass doors, sin mars our lives, even as Christians. And
those sins affect more than just ourselves. Pride drives an unyielding wedge.
Neglect fractures friendships. Greed causes others to suffer loss. Water-cooler
gossip ruins self-worth. And the worst consequence of all is that our sin skews
how others see God.
While splotches
on our glass doors wipe away with cleanser and elbow grease, cleaning up the effects
of our sin on others is more difficult. Words can’t be taken back. Actions
can’t be undone.
What can we
do? Where do we begin? Getting things
cleared up between us and God is the first step. 1 John 1:7-9 show us the
way: “The blood of Jesus, God’s son, purifies us from every sin…If we confess
our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong.”
Scripture
also offers us guidelines for restoring relationships tainted by our sin-prints:
Hold
your tongue. (Jam. 1:19) Pray. (Matt. 5:44)
Don’t
retaliate. (Rom. 12:18-20) Forgive. (Eph. 4:32)
Apologize.
(Matt. 5:23-24) Give. (Prov. 21:14)
Reflect
and learn. (Prov. 24:32)
Has the Son
highlighted sin smudges you need wiped clean? Is there a relationship in your
life that requires restoration due to sin on your part? Don’t hesitate another
minute—ask Jesus to clear the windows of your soul so His light can shine
through.
Be
encouraged!
©2019 Pamela D. Williams
Comments welcome via Facebook or email (writepam71@gmail.com).
