Finding God In The Fridge

C

leaning out the refrigerator is no fun!  I remember Saturday mornings when mom decided it was time to clean out the fridge.  The space on the counter top grew steadily smaller as dish after dish and container after container made its way from the fridge to our cabinets.  Honestly, I thought we’d never finish washing, drying, and putting away all those dishes!

My job was to tell her what was on the refrigerator’s shelves and she would decide whether or not such and such a dish needed to be washed or remain in the refrigerator.  Now when I clean out my own refrigerator, memories of those Saturday mornings spent with mom in the kitchen come flooding back.  Today, just as it was back then, cleaning out the refrigerator is still no fun!

I also remember checking the box of baking soda in the refrigerator to make sure it was still good.  Mom kept a box sitting on one of the shelves.  It was there to absorb any odors that might spoil the inside of the refrigerator.  Boy did that little box of soda work!  I never remember our refrigerator having an unpleasant odor thanks to that box of soda mom kept in the refrigerator.

In a very real sense, that box of soda is an excellent example of how Jesus works in the life of the believer.  Sin, like the inside of a refrigerator full of outdated food, produces an unwanted and unpleasant odor in the life of the nonbeliever!  No matter how rich, no matter how successful, and no matter how popular we are, without Jesus, our lives are spoiled, rancid, and ready for the garbage.  Only by accepting Jesus Christ can we hope to rid ourselves of sin and its detrimental effect in our lives.

1 John 3:5 tells us that Jesus came not to cover up sin, not to excuse it, not to tolerate it, but to take it away.  “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.”  Unlike that box of soda which needs to be changed every so often, Jesus offers us eternal life once and for all!  His sacrifice removes our sin, takes it away so we can enjoy a personal relationship with God.

That box of soda kept the fridge fresh for several months.  It absorbed all the unpleasant odors and kept the fridge fresh.  However, after working for a long period, the soda became saturated and was no longer able to purify the air.  So, we had to replace it with a fresh box.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, he takes away our sin.  Unlike the soda, however, Jesus’ salvation never wears out, never becomes ineffective, and must never be renewed!!  This is wonderful news!

It always amazes me how God uses the small things in life to teach us wonderful and life changing lessons about Himself.  The next time you open your refrigerator and you have a box of soda inside, stop and think about the wonderful gift of salvation God provided through His son, Jesus Christ.  You will never see the inside of a fridge or the inside of your life in the same light ever again.  We can find God anywhere, even in the fridge!  All we have to do is look for Him!