Jump Start # 3712

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I was out and about driving the other day. I noticed a pickup with a message spread across the back of the tailgate. It read, “We clean trash cans.” The trash can is the final destination of things in our homes that are broken, smelly, no longer wanted, and what we generically call junk or trash. Trash goes into the trash can. About the only time I ever clean out my trash can is if it smells. I’ll spray it down with the hose and leave the lid open so the sun can dry it out. Is my trash can clean? It’s a trash can. Is it supposed to be clean? The only things that go in it are things we are getting rid of.

Somehow the guy driving the pickup thought of a business niche that would be profitable. I definitely believe he probably has a corner on that market. There won’t be a lot of competitors bidding for the cleaning of your trash cans. I wonder if the guy also does dumpsters? I can’t imagine what prompted him to start such a business. Maybe his wife told him to clean their trash can and a neighbor asked him if he would do his? Nor, can I imagine what stinky and filthy trash cans he goes through in a day.

Trash cans ought to be somewhat dirty because it’s where we put our trash. Our verse today, written by David, after his heart had gotten dirty with lust, shame, coverup and multiple sins, shows his desire to have a clean heart.

Our hearts are not trash cans. Filth and dirt do not belong in our hearts.

There are some lessons for us:

First, we cannot pay someone to clean our hearts. We got our hearts messy and it’s up to us to do what we should to clean them up. Sometimes, parents forget this. They want the church to straighten up their child. They want someone else to be the tough guy and lay down the law to them. The responsibility lies with the parent. No one can clean up a trashy heart for you.

Second, our verse is a plea and a prayer. David recognized that on his own, he could not clean the stains off of his heart. He needed God. He needed God’s mercy and God’s grace. That would bring forgiveness. But there is more. David needed God’s guidance to keep his heart from getting dirty again.

That’s the difference between our hearts and a trash can. You can pay someone to clean your trash can, but you’ll continue to put more trash back into that can. This will just create another need to clean it out another time. Trash cans are not cleaned and remain clean. They are holders of trash. As long as we put trash in them, they will be dirty. The same is true of our hearts. Our souls can be forgiven by God, but as long as we continue to fill our hearts with more garbage and trash, our hearts will continue to be unclean.

Once we have received the forgiveness of God, we need to take the steps to stop putting more trash back into our hearts. Sunday worship isn’t a divine car wash that automatically cleanses the soul each week. Get that soul cleaned and go back out into the filth of the world and come back next week for another spiritual bath. That’s abusing God’s grace and that shows no gratitude nor growth towards a changed life.

Third, we can make a real mess of our hearts and souls. Anger, bitterness, worldliness and lust can stain our thinking and our souls so deeply that we get used to those things. They no longer bother us. I knew a guy years ago who had railroad tracks very close to his backyard. I was there one day when a trail roared by. The whole house shook. We couldn’t hear each other. It was so loud. After it passed by, I asked him how can you stand that noise. He was so accustomed to it that he hardly noticed. Boy, I did. I think my teeth were rattling as the train went by. Sin can do the same to us. Heard curse words so much that we don’t even notice anymore. Dwelled in negativity and the land of complaints so long, joy seems out of place and odd.

You can go to Heaven with a dirty trash can. Don’t think you’ll make it with a dirty heart. Most don’t expect their trash can to be clean. We ought to expect clean hearts, especially among the people of God.

Roger