Fixing a Broken Vacuum
by Joe Leavell
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
Am I the only one who has had the frustrating experience of running the vacuum cleaner through the living room for several minutes, wondering why none of the bits of dirt and fragments are getting picked up, and then finally realizing that the suction on the machine has not been working the entire time? It’s that exasperating feeling you get when all the hard work that you put in to getting a little housework done has been an absolute waste of time. Now you know you are going to have to spend at least 20 minutes or more trying to fix the problem with the suction before starting to vacuum the living room all over again.
I think a lot of people look at their relationship with God with this kind of frustration. They see commands such as “love your neighbor as yourself,” or “forgiving one another,” and “confess your sins to one another” as an overwhelming impossibility. To them, living in obedience to God is like asking them to vacuum the living room with a broken vacuum. They can make a lot of noise but there really is no power to do anything worthwhile.
Many have been at it for so long that they have given up trying. They thank Jesus for saving them and then do whatever they please because they don’t have any power to really change. In this way, people metaphorically get comfortable with a dirty floor in their lives. Others become legalists who double down on their efforts to obey by bragging how fancy their vacuums are and how hard they work pushing their vacuums. They pretend that their floor is perfectly clean because their vacuum looks and sounds impressive even though their floor is still filthy.
What Powers Us?
God gave us commands and principles in Scripture that reflect the character of Christ. As a reflection of our loving relationship with Him, and out of a heart of gratitude for the Gospel, we are meant to desire to bring God glory through obedience. For example, the command to love our neighbors as ourselves or to love another is repeated in Scripture twenty different times in nine different New Testament books. This overarching command is so important that 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that even if we have eloquent speech, the gift of prophecy, unsurpassed knowledge, faith that is capable of moving mountains, and even giving to the point of extreme personal sacrifice without God’s description of love as the motivator, we are described as nothing. Did you catch that? It says that in God’s estimation, without His definition of love, we are equated with the number “zero.” This is how important the obedience to God’s call to love one another truly is.
So what then is this suction power that is missing? Did God give us commands and then no power to carry them out? Are we resigned to a life of perpetual sin with no hope of becoming closer to the image of Jesus? Or worse, is He cruel to force us to figure out on our own how to muster up the strength to reflect the love of Christ on our own?
The reality is that all of us are broken by sin and in need of redemption through Christ. That need for Christ does not end after we become a believer. The reality is that the more a believer grows the more they understand just how much they need the Lord and lean on Him more and more for strength and obedience.
Power Not Just to Save Us
The key then to our obedience and freedom from the power of sin is found in the same God who rescues us from the penalty of sin. Galatians 5:16 tells us, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” The passage goes on to describe the result of walking in the Spirit. These characteristics are depicted as “fruit.” The first of this list is “love.”
Did you catch that? The principle of Scripture is that the command to love one another will only be able to be fulfilled when we walk with the Spirit rather than in the flesh. The only way for us to get our proverbial vacuum to work is not by mustering our effort but by walking by the Spirit. This character is not the fruit of personality, the fruit of abilities, or even the fruit of good works. This is the fruit (the result, if you will) of living a Spirit-controlled life.
This means we no longer have to give up when we fail and we no longer have to pretend. Our part is simply to walk with God and allow Him to change our affections and desires. He will mold us into someone who has lasting power to obey in real worship. As Scripture tells us in Philippians 2:13,
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
These words are freedom because we do not have to conjure up the ability and the power within ourselves to obey His commands. Obedience comes as we walk with God in faith, trusting Him to direct our lives the same way we trusted Him to save our souls from death.
For this reason, do not be surprised if you come to BCA looking for answers for your broken vacuum, and we point you first to your relationship with God. Really, how much help will there be for us to spend all of our effort trying to help you shine up the outside of the vacuum when the real problem is that there is no suction power?
In this way, our relationship with Jesus has everything to do with your broken marriage, your struggle with depression, parenting issues, financial struggles, etc. Walking with the Spirit, or the synonymous “abiding in Christ” as John 15 describes, is the only way for us to have lasting power.
For Further Reading:
Remaining Steadfast and Stable: Simplifying the Complexities of Walking with God - by Monte Leavell
The Imperfect Disciple - by Jared Wilson
You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior - by Tim Chester
