A Clean Slate

Isn't it funny how your perspective on things can change in a moments time?  When January 1 rolls around it is almost as though people catch their second wind...enough to get them motivated to keep moving forward.  A few days ago I was thinking about the new year and how most people, myself included, feel they are starting over or wiping the proverbial slate clean.  And as I was pondering that thought, this illustration came to mind.
Have you ever wrote on a white board?  In most cases you write or draw as you wish and then with a few swipes of an eraser it all disappears.  But have you ever tried to erase words or artwork that has been left written on the white board for a while?  It takes a lot more elbow grease to remove the marker and even then the traces of what was written remains, stubbornly refusing to disappear. 
Aren't we like that in  many ways?  Sometimes there are things in our life that are easy for us to change.  We make the decision to get rid of them and with little effort we are successful.  But other things, things that have been hanging around a while, aren't so easy to get rid of.  Maybe it's a bad habit or hidden sin, but whatever it is, you've tried to get rid of it but no matter how hard you try the imprint remains.  You are unable to wipe the slate clean.
In the case of the white board all it takes is a dousing of white board cleaner and a good scrub with a rag to make the white background shine brightly again, free of any leftover marker.  With us, we need a dousing of the crimson blood of Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV) "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance wit the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

The only way we can erase the stains of our past is with the blood of Jesus.  I am so thankful that as the new year begins and we look forward to making changes, that I can count on Jesus Christ to wipe the slate clean where I cannot. 

Happy New Year!