Gutter Maintenance

At the end of a sweltering summer day, Sydney was doused with a welcome shower.  Wind whipped the trees and the cool rain bucketed down.  During the cloudburst, I noticed a few areas where rain was spilling over the edge of the gutters.  This morning after seeing the boys off to school, I pulled out a ladder and confirmed my suspicion.  The large tree which provides lovely shade in our front yard also drops leaves in abundance, and the gutters needed to be cleaned.  It only took a short time to remove the leaves, and hopefully the next rain will prove my effort of maintenance successful.

Since the gutters are elevated, it took a rainstorm for me to notice the flow of water was impeded by leaves and debris.  Buckets of leaves had slowly accumulated out of my sight.  Many had turned black due to the decomposition process.  Because I do occasionally clean the gutters, it was not a big chore to clear them this morning.  It made me think about the spiritual maintenance required for our lives to remain pure, so the Living Water of the Holy Spirit may flow unabated through our lives.  Often the temptation must come in a deluge, a storm kicks up that unsettles us, or we experience a power outage and subsequent darkness which brings us to our senses that something is quite wrong.  We may think we are doing very well spiritually until we have a great fall.  It is only afterwards we realise the warning signs were there for quite a while.  Sinful thoughts and selfish attitudes in our hearts had slowly been accumulating like leaves in the gutter.  Clear skies and light breezes didn't alert us to our wayward hearts.  But when the storm hit in the form of a fight when we used unkind words, exhibited uncontrolled anger, or sinful choices made clear our wretched condition.  Slowly resolve against temptations eroded as our desire or curiosity intensified which resulted in additional sin.  We can praise God for His grace to allow the gutter to overflow so we might see our desperate need for Him. 

The gutter on our house was powerless to clear itself of the leaves.  The massive volume of water packed leaves under stabilising brackets which cut off the flow, and strong winds added more leaves still.  Even as Christians, we are absolutely powerless to cleanse ourselves from sin and restore ourselves to a close relationship with God when we choose sin.  It is good when our sin brings us to a place of desperation for God's intervention in our lives.  If our need for cleansing and deliverance from sin does not overwhelm us, it may be we have not looked into the recesses in our hearts.  If our mind and heart is like a gutter packed with refuse, God supplies the only salvation and deliverance through repentance and faith in Christ.  When our eyes are opened to our powerlessness and Christ's sufficiency, we can make the contemplation of David in Psalm 142 our prayer:  "I cry out to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. ² I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. ³ When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have secretly set a snare for me. ⁴ Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul. ⁵ I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. ⁶ Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. ⁷ Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name; the righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me."

The gutters on our house could not clear themselves, but it was easy for me to do.  No matter what your struggle, no matter how long those leaves have been accumulating, cleansing you of sin is no problem for Jesus.  How would you like to have a new start?  How would you like to be delivered from the prison of sin you find yourself stuck in?  Seek refuge in the LORD, trusting only in Him.  Repent, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed.  Keep an eye on the condition of your heart and mind, performing regular checks and soul maintenance.  Then when the stormy temptation hits, the cleansing, refreshing power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit will flow freely through you.