BY SHALYN C. WILLIS
What I am about to tell you, I have told no soul. I'm going to be completely honest with you, I have been bad. I knew the right thing to do and yet I chose the opposite. I'll just say it. The other night, I was taking a teacup out of the cupboard to pour myself my nightly routine cup of tea. When I looked at the cup that my hand had grasped, I noticed a streak of soap residue from the dishwasher stuck to the side of the glass mug. At that moment, I had a choice to make. I could have washed it off and then used that mug, or I could put it back into the cupboard and no one would ever know that I had discovered the soap stain and didn't fix it. This being not one of my most shining moments, I put the mug back into the cupboard! Rebellious, I know! I couldn't even believe myself! After I had done it, I laughed to myself, but then I felt God speak to me through this irresponsible action.
We do this spiritually don't we? I mean, if we are being honest with ourselves and others, there are things, stains, and messes in our lives that we take out and see, but rather than fixing them and making it better, we simply put it back behind the cupboard door. I know that for me, this hit home. This was God's slightly silly, yet profound way of revealing to me, that I have some unfinished business with certain areas of my heart. Things that I keep pushing under the rug, or tucking behind the cupboard door. But God is asking us not to put it back where we found it. He wants us to keep it out of the cupboard. By doing so, we will provide ourselves the opportunity to fix the problem, and wash off the stain. It's time we work on the problems rather than hiding them.
Proverbs 6:4 says not to put off what can be done now. We are told this not as a warning or recommendation, but as a command! God doesn't desire that we are burdened with these issues longer than we need to. By continually hiding them and putting them away, we aren't allowing ourselves or God the access to work on the issues at hand. We are supposed to deal with things and move on, not be weighed down with the same issue for extended periods of time. But sometimes we don't keep stuff out of the cupboard because it means we have to be vulnerable with ourselves and others.
I am not telling you this out of a place of achievement. Trust me, I am far from accomplishing my own advice, but the truth is it's not my advice. It is what God has been speaking to me. Ultimately, it is God's advice. Part of becoming dependent upon Him is to be willing to swallow the hard truth He gives. Trust me, I'm still swallowing this one! But in order for God to shape us into becoming more like Him, we have to be willing to keep those dirty, ugly parts out of the hidden places so that He has full access to help us overcome them. One day you will look back at the soap stained mug that you kept putting back into the cupboard, and be mad that you didn't let God reshape that part of your life sooner. We are in this together. I am being stretched and I pray that you will stretch with me. Keep it out of the cupboard, and let Him work on your heart.
Women Get Real is excited to showcase this blog from Shalyn Willis, founder of Dependent Daughters. Shalyn, at only 17 years old, uses her blogs to help her generation become more like Jesus. Shalyn will be joining the Women Get Real team on the panel at the Becoming God’s Girl Conference on September 28th. If you haven’t purchased your tickets, do so today. We are almost sold out!
http://becominggodsgirl.eventbrite.com