I’ve just spent a few hours washing windows in the
conservatory. As I removed squishy balloons which had been hung in celebration
of our granddaughter’s first birthday last week, I noticed the horrible fly spots
speckling the woodwork and windows.
It was satisfying to see the white wood restored to its
smooth finish, but it was only as I cleaned off the fly spots from the glass
that I realized there was also a film laid down by the atmosphere itself I
guess, which dulled our vision of the world through those windows.
Sins, like fly spots, obscure our vision of God. Some are
obvious, like those ugly fly spots. But others are more akin to bad attitudes
and critical thoughts than specific incidents which spring to our minds in
times of confession. If we let them build up, they mask our perception of God’s
kingdom and prevent our fully participating in kingdom life.
Just as I wasn’t aware of the layer of dirt smudging the
glass, so I can be unaware of my attitudes, my lack of grace towards others, my
self-righteousness which effectively cuts me off from all the blessings God has
for me.
We need the Holy Spirit to highlight such hidden sins. He
doesn’t condemn us but leads us to Jesus to be set free from them, so that our
minds can be transformed and our attitudes re-calibrated to Kingdom values
rather than earthly ones.
When we come to Jesus, he is delighted to wash us clean and
set us free from those things that inhibit our ability to live life to the
full. I am so thankful.
