Haunting Flaws

I can’t escape them. They confront me every day of my life. When I walk into the room I cringe. There for all to see are my flaws fully exposed. I can’t avoid them, the room is fundamental to daily existence. Nobody likes to have their flaws on display but sometimes it’s unavoidable. When I was 25 years old, I built the kitchen cabinets that are in our kitchen. I had tackled minor woodworking projects before but never anything of this magnitude. So I learned to build kitchen cabinets in my kitchen; literally. I transported borrowed power tools from my Dad’s shop to what is now the dining room portion of the kitchen of the house that Harriett and I were building and began the process, by trial and error, of constructing kitchen cabinets from scratch.

Unfortunately a by-product of my do-it-yourself project is intimate knowledge of every flaw; major and minor. The typical observer may not even see them but I do. Every little flaw screams at me as I pass by; Ha! Ha! Ha! – look at what you did. I’m haunted by their existence. Oh, I’ve learned to cope with them; some days are better than others. While I do acknowledge their existence I will not point them out to you. You’ve have to discover them for yourself, I’m not going to facilitate my humiliation.

While it’s true that I may be overhyping my deeply felt dissatisfaction with my handiwork, it has parallels with a spiritual condition that exists in each of us. Unfortunately, regardless of personal faith in God or spiritual maturity, we all suffer the flaws of a fallen sin nature. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. Our condition is genetic; we inherited them from our ancestors. Try as we would to ignore, control, suppress, hide or cure them, we cannot rid ourselves of them. We brought them into the world with us and we live with them our entire existence. They humble us and humiliate us. They are an inextricable part of our humanity.

There are several major differences in my woodworking flaws and my spiritual flaws. I could tear out the cabinets and start over with better skills; erasing any evidence of their existence. We cannot so easily deal with our sin nature. Paul lamented, ”For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will.” Romans 7:18-19. If Paul couldn’t outrun his nature we don’t have a prayer. I could excuse my woodworking prowess by feigning lack of experience; but there is no excuse for our spiritual shortcomings. “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

But here’s the best part; God gives us provisions for coping. In the short term “if we confess our [flaws] He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” 1 John 1:9. In eternity as Christians we can be comforted in this life that at our personal judgment day at the end of our life He will permanently deal with the problem. While I cannot conceal the flaws in my handiwork or in my life, God has promised me that when it counts the most He will rebuild me with a new body; flawless to the core. “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body. . . “ Phil. 3:21

Haunted by your flaws? "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18.