This past week I had to spend a considerable part of an evening unclogging my kitchen sink. Joy. There’s not much I like more than squeezing my hand into a stanky, dark hole filled with sludge and sharp blades.
And what clogs my
garbage disposal anyway? It seems there’s some mystical combination of melon rinds and veggie skins that do the trick every time — but we keep shoving them in nonetheless. You’d think we’d learn!
But when the disposal is clogged, at least I get immediate feedback. The sink backs up and would overflow if not attended to.
When my soul gets clogged, the feedback is not always so immediate. Or maybe I’m just not as attuned to it. And yet it happens — my inner life slows to a crawl, my responsiveness to God becomes resistant, my relationships become a drudgery, and joy is absent.
While there are hundreds of potential soul-clogging behaviors, attitudes or beliefs, the ones that I seem to struggle with most frequently, the ones that most often obstruct the flow of my inner life are the misperceptions I hold about God.
My misperceptions about God clog my soul.
This thought emerged in a dialog with a friend as we discussed the reality that not all theology is helpful. In fact, some of what we come to believe about God can be a harmful hindrance to the life He called us to live.
Jesus was the one who stated, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” It’s his full intent: that the flow of our lives would be uninhibited and clog-free.
Are there some common misperceptions about God that end up clogging the life from our souls? Probably. Here’s a few that show up with some frequency:
- God isn’t good.
- God really doesn’t like/accept/love me.
- The junk of my life disqualifies me for relationship with God.
If only there was a soul-Drano that would help address these misperceptions.
Actually, there is. Scripture is the most potent clog-clearing, life-restoring, soul-freeing, spirit-resource that God has provided.
2 Timothy 3:16 says that…”All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
And like Drano, we don’t have to wait for a full clog before we get God’s Word into us. By regularly drinking in God’s Word, our soul is kept clog-free.
What Scriptures have meant the most to you about the three misperceptions mentioned above?
Unsolicited Hope 
I recently heard a song that “unclogged” my soul…”Except for Grace” by The Martins:
“Except for grace and your faith and knowing that God’s love will forgive mistakes. There’s nothing that can clear your painful past, best your bitter pain, or could ever take your place, except for grace.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,”My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
“bear your bitter past”
“bear your bitter pain” (third time is a charm!)
Beautiful! Thanks, Roger.