Cleaners

Luke 10:5-6 – Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace be to this house!" And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. (ESV)

We have an upright vacuum cleaner for the downstairs carpets and kitchen, and one upstairs with a long hose and arm to get around the bathroom and bedrooms with all their nooks and crannies.

Usually, the only time vacuum cleaners become the focus of my attention is when I am directed to them, by the household's main user, to clear up after I have made a mess repairing something, or to fix them when they need attention.

Recently, the motor of the one upstairs was screaming away, so I had a look at it. There was very little happening at the floor end of the pipe, apart from being dragged about. When I inspected the dust collector, it was unobstructed, but the motor was racing as if nothing were getting through, and it was overheating. So, I took out the dust collector, only to see that the lid on the collector had been put back into the machine back-to-front: a design flaw. Consequently the hole for the suction was blocked — therefore, no suction!

When I turned the lid about and replaced it, normal suction was restored, and the motor was grateful, judging by the absence of smell from the hot windings in the motor.

It made me reflect upon how, lately, I have been rushing about, getting heated up, and wondering why I am not being effective, when I am seeking to be just that.

The answer, sadly, is straightforward. We need to get life the right way around, including God into our day, and not going off by ourselves. If we have no inner peace, how can we be an outlet for God's peace to flow through us into others?

When we get it right, we can be connected with God's grace, turning us about to be effective, rather than just blowing out hot air. In His will, we can not only receive from God our forgiveness and cleansing, but we can also impart His peace in various ways to those to whom we come through the course of the day!

Prayer: Lord, as we come to You, we ask for the forgiveness of our sins. By the power of the cross, You have opened up the way for us to become believers acceptable in Your sight and effective channels of Your peace. In a troubled and divided world, direct our minds to how we can pray best for Your kingdom to come today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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