White Board Stains & You

You’ve seen the white board.

It’s tired. It has lost its shine. It looks faded…

And stained.

Someone accidentally used a permanent marker on it.

Words and charts and diagrams stayed on the white board for weeks or even months at a time before someone attempted to erase ‘em. The images stayed after the erasing. Yes, they became a little bit lighter, but they’re still visible and legible.

Even white board cleaner is no match for the stains on this one.

Somebody used tape to stick something to it a while ago—now it has the gooey residue of tape attracting dust and ink and felt from the white board eraser.

It has layers of stains and scars.

It has scratches and marks.

It’s too far gone.

The notion of a “clean slate” doesn’t seem to apply here.

The only solution: retire it… to the dumpster.

Know what I’m talking about?

Have you ever felt like that white board?

I have.

Sometimes, I need to remind myself of how God sees me…

“How happy you must be—you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean. God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him.” (Psalm 32.1, 2 MSG)

I’m not being retired to the dumpster!

As far as God is concerned, I’m completely stain-free.

And so are you.

Now, we still have scars and scratches and stuff.

We know they’re there. Others can see ‘em too.

Those scars and scratches and stuff have a purpose.

They’re our testimony.

They speak of where we’ve been and what has happened to us.

They tell a story of God’s grace and his healing power in our lives.

They remind us of how far we’ve come and they give us hope as we face today’s challenges.

Yes—we have some scars and scratches AND we have a clean slate!

“Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1.30 MSG)