Washed

Washed

He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

I HEARD THE SCREAMING FIRST. Racing into the bathroom, I saw my three-year-old sitting in the shower stall. I’d left her with the water turned off while I went to snag a clean towel. As she stood up, wet and hysterical, I noticed that even though I had rinsed her off, her legs were once again coated. Slicked up with bubbles and a slimy coat of shampoo, she looked like nothing so much as a greased-up pig. As she skidded across the slippery tile floor toward me, I simultaneously grabbed for her and scooped the shampoo bottle out of her hand.

It was then that I realized that in my momentary absence, she had squeezed out the contents of the bottle. A full two-thirds of my newly opened shampoo was now on the shower floor. And since she’d been sitting in the mess, her skin felt like it was on fire. Thank goodness a good dose of water could wash away the sting.

I can sympathize with my daughter’s pain in not recognizing how her small choice—dumping the shampoo—could turn into a problem much larger than she’d anticipated. All too often, our seemingly harmless choices have far-reaching consequences. The friendships we maintain, the careers we choose, the communities we live in—all of those begin with small choices that can spiral into situations and circumstances with much larger ramifications for our lives.

Thankfully, though our choices do have consequences, our salvation doesn’t come and go based on our daily choices. It’s not the measure of our own righteousness that leads to salvation; it’s only through the mercy of Jesus that we can experience new life—our sins washed away, our poor choices forgiven. It’s the washing—pouring out, regenerating, cleansing, making whole—that matters in the end, not the deed.

And so, when days come when I feel like I’m on fire from the choices I’ve made, I try to remember that when we ask for forgiveness it’s often received like a good dose of water, meant to take away the sting. Cleansing. Regenerating. Making whole.

Lord, thank you for the cleansing power of your forgiveness. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: Each time you wash your hands today, let it be a reminder of how Jesus has washed away your sins. Use those twenty seconds to pray and thank him for his mercy and forgiveness.