Stagnant Water

So this past week we went to PA and left our pool unattended.  It is a small pool, only 12 foot around and 36 inches deep, so we don’t always run the filter, so it was turned off.  Neither of us checked the chlorine tab in the water and, although it was covered, the cover didn’t stay on for long.  We came home to an almost brown pool.  It was so dark green from the algae, it was disgusting.  We let it sit for a day wondering if we wanted to drain the entire thing or try to shock it back into submission.  After going out there and inspecting it closer, I made the decision to drain the whole thing and get on my hands and knees and scrub it out. (hence the reason for the late post this morning)

So as I was on my hands and knees in bleach water, algae and grime, I kept thinking- what a great devotional!  HAHAHAHA…  So often we let our lives, our relationships and our hearts stay stagnant for too long.  We let parts of our life not get stirred, filtered, treated.  We say that we will deal with things later and people later and don’t concentrate on friendships and on our relationship with God.  After a while, algae starts to grow, it starts to take over- it feeds and reproduces and ultimately you have to drain out everything in that part of your life to clean it out. 

I know that I have let algae grow in quite a few friendships that I have due to business.  I have let algae grow and start taking over my relationship with God.  If we let it – the world creeps in and reproduces and starts taking over our lives.  We are told in Titus to refrain from ungodliness:

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

So I need to make sure that in my relationship with God, I don’t let the algae of life creep in and reproduce, in the relationships with my friends and relatives, I don’t let ungodliness creep in and take over.  After spending some time in stagnant water- that is the last thing that I ever want to be!!!!!