Forgiveness-To-Go

My reaction to a recent celebrity "marriage" reminded me of a lesson God taught me once before.


One day (long before Ellen & Portia) I saw a couple of very attractive young guys intimately holding hands as they walked through our local mall. I was overcome with grief at the sight & I felt physically ill. It literally made me sick & broke my heart to know that these guys were caught up in this sinful lifestyle.


My thoughts were mid-process when the Father began to speak to my heart.


He showed me that my feelings toward these boys was only a taste of what He feels when I sin. Though I have a tendency to look at certain sins as big & unthinkable God sees every sin as a nail being hammered into the flesh of His precious Son. My gossip about a sister, my disrespect toward my husband, my laziness in ministry, my pride, my jealousy, my moodiness, & the many, many unmentionables, these all stink in the nostrils of Almighty God.


My husband says that we think of some sins as small, but we need to remember that every sin is an ugly stain. He says to imagine a perfectly white sheet with one black spot. Regardless of how big or small the spot, the sheet is stained. It is no longer unblemished, perfectly white, or clean. It is not spotless. Most of us (especially women) will do everything in our power to remove a stain on our clothing immediately (BEFORE IT SETS IN). We can even carry pocket-size stain removers with us so that we are always armed & ready to attack even the tiniest unwelcome spot.


This makes me wonder...why am I not arming myself with spiritual stain removal? Why do I not immediately do what I can to get rid of the sin BEFORE IT SETS IN? I don't even need to carry a stain removal stick in my pocket. My Forgiveness-To-Go (1 Jn. 1:9) is readily available in the form of prayer. I just need to confess my sin as sin & accept the forgiveness that is already there. Amazing.


Lord, let me always be able to smell the rottenness of my own sin & let me be merciful to others who have not yet noticed the stench of theirs. Teach me to pray more consistently & fervently for those in the world who are drowning & don't know it. You are able to save the worst of sinners, ME, so I know that You can save anyone! Father, also help me to run to You as soon as the stains hit my white sheet. Remind me to let You wash each one away before they can set in & become a stronghold for me. Thank You for Your willingness to speak to me, to teach me, to forgive me..."Just as I am & waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot. To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, I come, I come." (from the old hymn Just As I Am by Charlotte Elliott).