What Cleaning My Carpet Taught Me About My Sin
A couple of days ago, I began cleaning my living room carpet. It had started to look pretty dingey and the last time I shampooed it, I didn’t realize that the carpet cleaner did not work correctly. Thus, it didn’t get very clean and probably even made it worse by leaving detergent in the carpet, that is now collecting dirt. It didn’t look terrible, but it’s a light-colored rug that was getting…well, darker in the high traffic areas. So, I decided to SCRUB this thing by hand with a small stain treating carpet cleaning machine. IT WAS WORK! My arm and my hand hurt so bad that I had to take it in four sections. I knew it would be worth my time, but what I didn’t know is that it would teach me a lesson about church and about sin! Clean Carpet; Life Lessons—that’s a good day!
Before I started cleaning, I could see a couple of bad areas, which signaled that I probably needed to clean my carpet. I fold and stack laundry on this carpet, in the same spot every week. That was one of the places that was starting to look a little less “creamy” and a little more gray. But I started cleaning in the corner, in a less-high-traffic-area and was a little disappointed when I didn’t see much for results.
I meticulously scrubbed each “row” by hand. My hand got so sore! I realized I could certainly not do the whole thing in a day, so I sectioned off quarters to do one each day. But by the time I finished the first section, I could SEE a HUGE difference! Like, there is a line on my rug exactly where I stopped! The dirty water alone proved how much cleaner my rug was in that spot, but there was A LINE where I stopped! Gross.
I had no idea that my carpet was that dirty. The dirty water from the steam cleaner was practically sludge. It’s a good thing that cleanliness is not actually next to godliness or I would be in trouble!
But seeing that got me thinking and the Lord began to teach me through this picture…a lesson on sin.
We hear a lot about how the church can be such a scary place for people who are not walking with the Lord. I have heard A LOT of criticism in the recent weeks about churches—particularly one of my local churches because someone decided something without any factual evidence, and decided to tear it apart.
The argument is always the same–that churches are too judgmental and not welcoming of anyone who isn’t like them.
Cleaning my carpet made me wonder though…is this really true? Or is it something else?
John 16: 7-11 tells us that the Holy Spirit shines light onto our sin. If we surround ourselves with other people who have not chosen to follow Christ and instead, choose to live in their sin, we stay like that carpet—a little dingey maybe, but not bad because everyone around us is the same dingey color. But when that person enters a church filled with followers of Christ who have been washed—not by a carpet cleaner, but by the BLOOD of the LAMB, perhaps he or she suddenly becomes VERY AWARE of how dirty that carpet is!
Think of it this way, when you wear an old, white t-shirt that hasn’t been laundered well—maybe it’s a little grayish, or has a yellow undertone. You may not notice it at all…unless someone else shows up in a brand-new white tee and says, “Hey! Let’s take a picture together!” Suddenly, you’re standing next to someone in a brand-new, pure white t-shirt and you feel a little self-conscious about yours.
I’m not saying that people in churches aren’t critical and even downright mean sometimes. I’m not saying that unsaved people always feel welcomed by Christians in churches. But I do wonder how much of the judgement we feel from other people is truly judgement. Or is it the Holy Spirit shining light onto our sin?
When I had really young children in church, church was so stressful for me! Trying to keep my children quiet and behaving well, all while feeling the judgment of ALL the older people in the church. I just KNEW that they thought I was a horrible mother and I always felt the need to be “extra-stern” with my children in church so others would know that my children really are disciplined! After church, I often said things to these other women like, “I’m so sorry about the circus happening back here!” They always replied with either, “Really? I didn’t even notice!” or “I just love having children in church!”
The judgment that I felt was not true. It was a feeling…and feelings can sometimes be trusted, but not always.
It got me thinking about the woman at the well. Often, we like to gloss over her sins and get straight to the love that Christ showed her. But when you really think of the conversation, you must recognize that that had to have been an uncomfortable conversation! Jesus allowed the woman at the well to come just as she was, but He did not allow her to stay as she was.
This is where the Gospel gets watered down so often. We like to say, “Come as you are.” And that’s great! But then, sometimes, we get bent out of shape when it is expected that we don’t stay as we are!
The Gospel calls for a change! Jesus told the woman, “Go, and sin no more.” He did not say, “Sure. Go on living in sin and doing whatever you wish because I have you covered.” No. He commanded her to change. It is a lesson on sin as much as it is a lesson on grace.
Friend, do you have sin in your life that is keeping you from a true relationship with Christ? Do you have sin that maybe seems small and unnoticeable…except it’s making you dingey?
Giiiirrl, it’s time to get out that rug scrubber!
Here’s the thing. You can take all the right steps—I have worked very hard to keep my rug clean. I haven’t allowed food in my living room and my kids have to wash their bare feet or put socks on every time they come in from outside! My carpet still has build-up.
You can do all the work, but it won’t get you clean. You can work very hard not to sin. You can try to keep yourself clean all you want, but the only One that can scrub you is Christ. He has already paid the penalty. He wants you to come as you are, but He does not want you to stay as you are. God wants you. He wants your heart. And He wants to change your life! No matter how tiny or insignificant your sin may seem…it’s gross. And it’s time to get rid of it!
RElated: Five Ways to Grow in Your Faith
