Do you need your wipers?

The other night I was driving down the road when it started to rain. As I turned my wipers on, a memory came to mind. Instantly, I was 14 and in Driver's Ed again. I clearly remember the first time I drove with our instructor...to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was focused on the road with my hands on 2 and 10 and it started to rain. I kept driving with eyes looking ahead and hands gripping the wheel when eventually my teacher said, "You can turn the wipers on."

I reflected on that story and instantly a new illustration came to mind. Friend, sometimes we can walk through life in a similar way. Our vision is blurred, our focus distracts and our actions aren't safe. We know using our wipers makes driving safe when our view is unclear, but have you ever wondered if your view as a Christian is out of focus?

My long drive in the rain gave me plenty of time to think. As we walk through life, storms come and fog settles in. Our view isn't always clear. It's not always the physical elements that blur our sight  either. Sometimes our thoughts get in the way and wrong motives of our flesh or lies from the enemy distort our view. Others it's simply the busyness of our daily life or even our numbness to the sin our culture embraces.

In the same I way I couldn't see the road all those years ago, we can struggle to see God. Now, we're not going to literally see God, our Father, but we can see Him at work, in creation and in His Word. If our focus is elsewhere or our vision is blurred, we won't. And when we don't see Him, we tend to drift from Him.

Think for a minute to when you've driven in the fog or with a broken wiper blade - crossing the centerline is easy to do and drifting onto the shoulder happens quite quickly. The same is true in a spiritual sense.

Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." These are words Jesus spoke to the disciples and all who gathered to hear the sermon on the mount.

Personally, the word that catches my attention is PURE. The Greek word for this is katharos, which means clean, pure and unstained. If we dig a bit deeper, we find a pure heart is one that is unmixed (without undesirable elements) and it is free from the contaminating influence of sin. 

I no longer need a reminder to turn my wipers on when the rain starts to fall, but I think sometimes I need to remember to purify my heart in a spiritual sense. How about you?

We can't do this by flipping a switch or pushing a button, we need to humble ourselves before God, spend time in His Word and allow Him to convict us. Once that happens, we must confess and repent. Though that can be hard, God forgives and our view gets better!

It's dangerous to drive when our vision is blurred and friend, it's just as risky and unsafe to walk the road of faith with distorted vision and a polluted heart. I pray we each take some time to turn on the wipers of our heart!

Dear Heavenly Father, Lord thank you for this simple picture. Wise, experienced drivers know there are times we need to turn our wipers on. I ask you to help me be a wise, mature follower of you so that I allow you to purify my heart. Lord, I want to see you, but know my vision is often blurred and my heart can be impure. Humble my heart, open my eyes to sin and help me repent. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.