Sin Clog (you know you want to read this one!)

"God never reveals our hearts to discourage us. Convicting us of sin is one of the most profound ways he demonstrates his love for us" (Paul Tripp).

I worked my way through college on the campus maintenance crew. Periodically I would be called to one of the ladies' dorms for a slow shower drain. Inevitably a crowd would gather as I ran an elongated coat hanger down the drain. The girls would gather in closely as I turned the hanger around and around and slowly began to pull it to the surface... I'm not sure what they were anticipating, but by the time the wad of slimy hair, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a cat-sized rat, was resting on their shower floor, there was not a girl in sight. Above the clammer of slamming doors echoing down the hall I would shout "Hey, it's YOUR hair!" Maybe this is why I had to go off campus to find a bride, but that is neither here nor there.

In similar fashion, the Word of God reveals our hearts to us. The contents of hate, lust, and all kinds of evil (Matt 15:19) shouldn't surprise us, but all too often our deceitful heart (Jer 17:9) tells us that our problems must either have originated els-ware, or they aren't so bad after all. Then, rather than standing and dealing with what is revealed we run away screaming like a college girl. Rather than being grateful for the messenger who applied the tool of God's Word to our life we look on him/her with disdain, forgetting that the "clog" came from our own heart.

God, in His rich grace gives us His heart revealing Word. He gives us men and women who love us enough to hold the mirror of God's Word (Jam 1:22-25) in front of our eyes. Every one of us has a nasty hair-ball of sin in there causing a backup of problems in some shape or form. What we choose to do about it is up to us, but I pray we will all remember the kind words of Paul Tripp. "God never reveals our hearts to discourage us. Convicting us of sin is one of the most profound ways he demonstrates his love for us."

When God comes as a maintenance worker will His love for you cause you to stand and face the truth, or will your love for yourself cause you to run away and slam the door?

Bikes, Cookies, and Ecclesiastes

It was one of those days with totally messed up timing. All I wanted to do was go for a run. The morning limped by, then the afternoon – interruption upon interruption, with no opportunity to get away. Finally, when my 7 year old got home from school, I could escape, and, to my delight, he wanted to ride his bike while I ran. As we left the house together I thought of how thankful I should be that the day went as it did. Now, I could have my run and spend some one-on-one time with my oldest son. But then, with the front yard still in view, his bike chain popped off. This wouldn’t normally be a deal breaker, except that this chain has been popping off with increasing frequency. It was time to tinker with the bike, or I’d be stopping every 20 yards to put the chain back on. I had to give up on the day’s run once and for all. What did I do then? Well, what do you do when your exercise gets interrupted? I ate a cookie.

You have your own versions of this story, each ranging between funny and heart breaking. These experiences are the materials used in Solomon’s construction of the book of Ecclesiastes. He begins with those words made famous by the old KJV, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” We find other offerings in various translations like, empty, futile, or meaningless, to name a few. My Hebrew Professor told us the best translation is the phrase, “frustratingly enigmatic,” which is kind of funny to me because trying to understand what that means is frustratingly enigmatic. In reality though, whichever rendering you prefer we’ve all experienced it and know exactly what Solomon is talking about.

Solomon’s conclusion to this journal of frustrating enigmas is not, “go fix everything that’s broken.” Rather, he sums up his learning in a few phrases like, “enjoy the fruit of your labor,” “enjoy life with your family,” and most importantly, “fear God and keep his commandments.” Vanity will come. The only question is, will we learn from Solomon’s vast experience with it? The next time the bike chain pops off your plans my prayer is that you take it as an opportunity to evaluate your relationship with God in light of His commandments, reflect on the blessings provided in your loved ones… and then of course, eat a cookie.