Have you ever seized up?
I am sure you have had this experience. Maybe you have been at work and one of your machines seized up and stopped production. Or maybe you have been at home preparing a meal quickly and the blender decides to seize up. What about you? Have you ever seized up? Maybe you had a lecture to give and when you got up to speak you “seized” up.
I experienced this most recently. At work, we have a UV machine. If you are not in the printing business or have never ordered cards or postcards you may not know what a UV machine does. Let me explain a little. If you have ever seen a postcard come in your mail that is nice and shiny it has probably been through a UV machine. It is really a protective coating. You may have even noticed that when you have gotten a little water on the front of the postcard it didn’t seem to affect it. That is what the UV coating machine does. It makes it look nice as well as protects the product from being smeared or destroyed by a little moisture.
So how does a UV coating machine work?
We have a 5-gallon bucket of the liquid coating. Once the machine is on, a tube up to three different rollers carries the liquid. It coats two of those rollers. The bottom roller pressures the paper between the top rollers laying out a nice coat of UV. As the liquid flows over the rollers it collects into a trough on either end of the roller and from the trough flows through another hose back into the bucket.
Clean the machine!
Every day when we shut the machine down we separate the rollers and clean them thoroughly. If we left them connected and not cleaned it would ruin the rollers. Doing this cleaning is a required everyday maintenance to keep everything running well.
What we have now discovered is that there is a more thorough maintenance cleaning that should take place every month or two. The little troughs that transfer the UV from the rollers to the buckets had become caked with UV so that the liquid was going over the edges of the trough and going places it shouldn’t go. We had noticed this happening but did not realize the significance of the problem. The results of ignoring the problem were, it seized up the machine.
What about me?
It made me start to think about my Christian walk. I think of Jesus as the UV. When we allow Him to flood over our lives we become beautiful and protected. It is Christ that makes us become a beautiful, loving Christian. But we do need to allow Him to do it.
The question is, what about Christian “maintenance”? Do we need cleaning? What happens when we don’t get cleaned?
These are all great questions to ask ourselves. I just want to share a few thoughts. I do believe that we need to be thoroughly cleaned daily. Do we do the cleaning? No, but we do have to allow God to come in and do it. We have to surrender self. Each day we need to start by giving our day to God. And at the end of each day, we need to evaluate our day with God and make right with Him anything that He brings to our minds.
I believe that having a monthly or one day, whatever you decide is best for you, of fasting and focusing on a thorough evaluation and cleaning would be appropriate also. Now, when I say fasting that does not necessarily mean no food. It could be just less food or smoothies. Some people can go completely without food others cannot. We need to get our minds clear to hear God’s still small voice speak to us.
Stitches
One of my co-workers, that was dissembling the machine so that we could replace the bearing that had gone bad due to not having a monthly cleaning, got cut. There is a sharp blade that while he was working accidentally brushed up against it. He had to go and get 3 stitches.
Does Jesus ever get wounded as He is working within our lives to cleanse us from all unrighteousness? Yes, he does. What wounds Him? When He brushes up against sin that we do not want to let go of. “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” Hebrews 6:6. When we want to hang on to a sin in our lives it is painful for Christ, it is like an open wound. As we let Him remove the sin it is like stitches to His wound.
Cleaning
The repairs and cleaning on the UV machine have taken time. It is the same in the Christian life. When we come to God with a repentant heart He forgives us which is call Justification. Then Sanctification takes place and it is the work of a lifetime. Just like I said above, each day we need to be going to the Lord and asking Him to show us what areas in our lives need to change. The Lord does not show us all the damage and filth that needs to be fixed and cleaned all at once, for which I am grateful.
As we are in His Word and praying He will reveal to us the changes that need to transpire. And as long as we surrender with each revelation He will continue to do “maintenance” work on our hearts. He does the work but we have to allow Him to do it. We want to say with Paul, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved, me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. As long as self is crucified with Christ we will be willing to allow Him full access to our lives. We need to die daily.
Dear Father,
Forgive me for the wounds that I have caused You. I want to surrender my full life to You and let You have full access. Keep everything clean for me each day. Prompt my heart to seek You. Thank You for Your patience and love.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Let Jesus have full access today. Surrender all and let Him come in and clean you and maintain you. Spend time in God’s Word each day and be much in prayer and He will see you through every difficulty.
Love you all.
Have you ever felt seized up (hopeless)? As you sought God, what did He do for you? I would love to hear your story.