Saturday Seeking - "The Inner Problem"

Earlier this week, there was evidence our clothes dryer was not performing at its peek. It seemed with each load, the drying time required was getting longer. Our first thought was fear the heating element was going out. What we found after investigating was not loss of heat, but excessive heat, indicating there was a different type of problem to deal with.

After checking the vent on the outside of the house and cleaning it out, my brave repairman had the dryer pulled out and unplugged, revealing evidence of how long it had been since it had been moved. There were lots of “dust bunnies” and other debris, but he still felt we hadn't reach the heart of the problem.

Next step was removing the tubing which transports the air from the dryer to the outside vent. One look inside and we could see where the problem was. There was a thick coating of accumulated lint, which was preventing the air from flowing freely as it should. As we cleaned away, it was apparent this job should be done much more frequently.

Looking back on this experience, I saw a picture of what sin does in our lives. Without the cleansing power of God's forgiveness, it continues to build up and slows down the effectiveness of our witness. Interestingly, it is possible to have an exterior appearance of cleanliness, while leaving the inner problems unresolved. As an example, one might attend church regularly and even spend time reading the Bible and praying, and yet harbor bitterness toward another.

In the Old Testament we find the story of Samuel going to Bethlehem to anoint a new king for Israel. The Lord had revealed the fact he should invite a man named Jesse, as one of his sons would be the one chosen. When the oldest came before Samuel, he immediately thought this would be the one, since he was tall and handsome. Instead, the Lord spoke to Samuel telling him not to consider appearance or height. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we find the often quoted words, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”.

Going back to 1 Samuel 13:14, we find a description of the type of person needed to replace King Saul. They needed “a man after God's own heart”. Moving to the New Testament, we find in Acts 13:22 reference by Paul to the fact it was David, the youngest son of Jesse, who was found by God to be a man after His own heart.

It appears quite evident our world is in desperate need of more men and women who could follow the example of David and become people “after God's own heart”. To do so requires more than token religious behavior and goes to an inner quality known as integrity. Some of the words used by the dictionary to describe integrity are uprightness of character, honesty or being in an undivided state. Perhaps the simplest definition would be it is the “you” God sees when no one else is looking.

Does having integrity mean you never do anything wrong? Of course not. Look at the life of David and you will see there were many instances where he did things which were unpleasing to God. Instead, the requirement is recognizing and admitting when you have done wrong, then coming before God in true repentance, allowing God's forgiveness to give you an inner cleansing.

This week, take time to examine your inner self. Are there areas in need of a cleaning? Spend time reading in God's Word to get a feel for what His heart is like, and then model it in the world. Not only will our hearts be cleaner, but our effectiveness will improve proportionately. If you need a visual of how all this works, perhaps you should check on cleaning your dryer vent!