Pressure Washed by Grace

It is that time of year in Minnesota. We break out the pressure washer and other such industrial cleaning tools. We clean off the siding of the house, the gutters, the deck etc. Cobwebs, dirt, and wasp nests are blasted off the house. Everything is brought back to its original beauty.

I spent much of my life feeling dirty. I felt unworthy of love from God and others. If I made a mistake, as I did last week at work, I would feel deeply hurt. I would spend days beating myself up for my inadequacies. I would worry about being a disappointment to others. I would spiral down into an emotional pit.

This spiral wasn’t serving me well and God knew it. He brought me to some patterns that were interfering with my relationships including my relationship with Him. Honestly, this was not fun. He challenged me to let Him take them. He challenged me to deny those negative thoughts and replace them with scriptures that speak truth such as Psalm 139 where it says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. He pressure washed my life and continues to actively clean in my life.

28-29 Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire! (Hebrews 12:28-19 MSG).

He has burned away many negative thought patterns, and still brings me to new ones that need to change. I am sure He will be actively cleaning my heart for the rest of my life, but here is the beauty. I now look forward to those moments when it’s time clean my heart. This is grace in action. I know I will feel lighter, freer and less burdened. So much has been pressure washed out of my life that I don’t ever want to go back. That shame spiral is gone. I can own a mistake, make apologies and move on.

I make it sound simple. It takes practice and trust. Stopping a negative thought pattern and changing it to a positive one takes practice and persistence. I have used post-it notes and scripture memorization to assist me in the process. It can be done. There is nothing better than feeling clean and free.

Are you ready to be pressure washed by grace? Are you ready to let God bring you to negative aspects of your thought life that need a cleaning?

How has God pressure washed your life? Share your story here and breathe life and bring hope to others.

 

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