Growing up, guys on our block that couldn’t play, bike, run, or throw a Frisbee, were called scrubs. We had one or two. These were the ones that couldn’t catch a ball, hit a ball, throw one, or even run to save their grannies. They were wimps. Now, I know that today those are considered “harsh” words maybe even “hate” words, and may cause some guys to shed tears. I had a fifth grader tell me, “Mister, she looked at me.” Wow, big deal! But we didn’t grow up like that. Heck, there were girls that could shame guys. They could shoot (baskets) better, run faster, hit “killers” in handball, even pick up a guy and do bench-presses with him! So, if a guy didn’t want to be beaten by a runny-nose, skinny-legged, freckle-faced girl, he had to man-up, for fear of being called a scrub.
I mean, when we played, guys said, things like: “My Momma can play better than that.” Others would respond with “My grandma can hit better than you” A typical response might be, “Bring her out here!” and a response to that would be, “I don’t want to shame you publicly.” Someone would say, “Your grandma wears combat boots! “ …and…“That’s how tough she is!”
But, that’s not the kind of scrub I want to focus on! Too late! Shortly after my dad retired and my mom continued working, he took over the kitchen. Having been a cook in the military, he cooked (deliciously) and washed dishes, etc. One time he decided to scrub clean all the pots and pans. With a wire-brush, dishwashing solution, and a Brillo pad, he turned those pot bottoms into spanking, new-looking cookware!
When mom arrived and saw one particular pot, she couldn’t believe it. She said, “NO!” I ran to see the problem. It was a copper-clad-bottom pot! Not anymore!
Sometimes, we can look at our lives and think, “I don’t want to be a scrub, or a nobody. I want to be able to accomplish things.” And sometimes, we can accept the conditions our lives are in. We might have problems here and there. On the other hand, all may be dandy, yet an emptiness lingers in the back of our heads; we hear it in the silence of the night. Deep in our hearts we know there’s got to be more to this life than what we see or have.
If our sins are holding us back, or pulling us down, we might want to scrub ourselves clean to be right in God’s eyes. But it doesn’t work. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse us.
“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You” (Psalms 119:9-11).
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:7,8,9).
So, whether you’re a scrub in sports, are scrubbing your knees or your wife’s pots and pans (be careful!), you can’t scrub your dirty sins away. Heed God’s word. Only His blood sacrifice (already done), is accepted by God. Accept it in your life and you’ll be spanking-clean!
God Bless!
Sam