Lessons from laundry (a God moment story)

Doing laundry is a process. It’s not what I’d call a favorite pastime, but I’m happy with the end result of having clean clothes to wear. This past week, my son put a load of laundry in about the time I was going to bed. I told him I’d fluff it in the morning since I’m the first to rise in our household. And, thank the Lord, I remembered there was laundry in the dryer to fluff at 5:00 a.m. When the dryer buzzed, I decided to do him a favor and fold it. As I was going through the process, the Lord showed me this whole laundry process was like sanctification. While I folded, I pondered this fresh perspective, and I’ll probably never look at doing the laundry in the same way.

 

…Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11).

God's sanctification process

Before I get into the insights I enjoyed that morning while doing laundry with the Lord, let’s talk about what sanctification is. In the Bible, the Greek word used is hagiasmos and it means "holiness." In 1 Cor. 6:11 it means "to make holy.” In the context of today’s verse, he is reminding the Christians that they have been washed, and that their current behavior did not match up with who they were in Christ. The activities they were involved in and the way they treating each other mirrored that of godless people who weren’t even part of the kingdom of God. Bottom line, they were acting like they weren’t saved. Paul goes on to remind them that their salvation and how they live are not separate things. Our lives should reflect Him in us as we become more like him. This is sanctification.

Now, let’s go back to the laundry. If I say I’m doing laundry, but don’t do it, then the laundry is not done. If I put the laundry in the washer, but I don’t add soap, it is not done. If I put the laundry in the washer with soap and run it, but I don’t give it a second thought, then it is not done. Even if I put it out on the line or in the dryer to dry, it is not completed. Even when it is folded and put away, we are not wearing it. It’s not being applied. 

  That morning when I fluffed the load and folded it, I didn’t have to do it. I didn't do it just because it was a good deed. I did it because I loved the person I was doing it for. And that was the revelation the Lord gave me. I did it because I loved. And this is the same reason we live for the Lord and allow him to clean us up from the inside out. Sanctification is like daily wearing the clothes he washed in His righteousness. When they get dirty again, we are to apply his holiness “by the washing with water through the word” (Eph. 5:25). Each time we do this, we become more the person he wants us to be.