“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” 

Galatians 6:7, NLT

I was sitting with a group of friends when one of them asked about the similarity between lint in a lint filter and sin. On the face of it, this sounded to me like one of those “what the heck?” type of questions! I mean, where did that idea come from? But, I paused and thought, “Well, is there any similarity”? So, we tossed around our thoughts on the matter. The question for me became, what, if anything, does lint in filters and unchecked sin have in common? I considered what happens with lint when I dry the laundry in a dryer. Then, I considered what happens with what we commonly term insignificant or little sins, as opposed to those considered big ones.  I was surprised by what I discovered!

Whenever I checked the lint filter and there was just a little bit of lint on it, I tended to let it go because I didn’t see it as enough lint to bother cleaning off. When I checked the filter and the lint had accumulated significantly, I tended to it right away, because, by that time, it threatened a clogged filter and an inability for the dryer to effectively dry the clothes. It was actually harder to clean off the faint dusting of lint than a greater accumulation! The full filter of lint rolled right out so much easier. But, proper maintenance on the filter with little lint would have prevented further build up and subsequent consequences!

I experienced a time in my life when I let my so-called little sins progress unchecked to the point that they multiplied and became glaringly obvious to everyone around me. I could no longer hide them! I was left wondering, “How’d they get so big so quickly?” Truth is, it wasn’t an overnight growth, and I was compelled to address it. By that time, I was willing to confess everything and check those sins at the throne of God’s forgiveness! It cost me too, as some of those consequences continue today. It’s my reminder of the truth that we’d reap what we’ve sown.

Based on my friend’s question, I concluded that there is indeed a similarity between lint in lint filters and sin; left unchecked, it all builds up. Once built up, it must be addressed. So wouldn’t we want to address it before it builds up, and reap rewards instead of consequences?

By grace through faith,

Rita