Dirty headlamps.

When car headlamp lens were glass it was easy to clean them: soapy water and a rag usually did the trick. Today most lens are acrylic and over time they haze and become less effective. The process is so slow that you usually don't notice the loss of night vision. You can spend $30 or $40 on a lens cleaning kit and spend time "polishing" them, but I have found that any silicon based car polish does the same. Whatever you use, you will be surprised at the result, especially when you drive at night! The last time I cleaned my SUV's lamps the whole vehicle seemed to be running better. I even found an excuse to go out at night!

The whole process reminds me of a story from John's Gospel.

He (Jesus) rose up from supper and laid aside His garments. And He took a towel and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, You do not know what I do now, but you shall know hereafter. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and head. Jesus said to him, He who is bathed has no need except to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. And you are clean, but not all (are). John 14:4-10 NKJV

Our "spiritual headlamps" can also haze and fog up over time, and again the process is often so slow that we fail to see the loss of vision, sometimes until it's too late! I have witnessed this process occurring several times: I have experienced it myself! Unfortunately there is no lens cleaning kit available at the auto-shop for this malady.

There is only one way to prevent loss of vision... spending time with Jesus and keeping short accounts: i.e. wash the sin away that so readily obscures. A good wash with a bar of God's soap is the only recourse if we are to remain true to our calling.

1 John 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  

We may well suffer prolonged trials, great perplexities, and fierce temptations -- they are a part of the discipline of life-but we must keep on believing that Jesus is walking with us, loose sight of that and its axiomatic that our faith will fog up!

Touch a piece of steel with a magnet, and it in turn becomes a magnet. It can then be used to turn other pieces of steel into magnets with no loss, but rather with an increase of power to itself. However, leave a magnet sitting on shelf by itself and it gradually loses its magnetism. So it is with us: if we allow Holy Spirit to touch us with God's "cleaning agent"we will become holy magnets, quickening  others to God's calling on their lives, and we gain in the exchange.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 MKJV

  
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