Welcoming blows, beatings and scrubbing

I enjoy cooking, but not cleaning. Unfortunately, the two are inseparable.

Sometimes after cooking whatever was prepared has left a little residue.

Not only do I then need to clean the pan from its regular use but it now has to be scrubbed to remove the residue.

If for some reason the pan has been left out overnight, or longer, then I will have to use more strength to scrub out the reside. The pan must be cleaned. If it is not scrubbed clean and used while dirty, it will make my family and me sick.

The hard work of getting out what is harmful must be done in order to prepare what is helpful.

Proverbs 20:30 says, "Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being."

This proverb uses aggressive terms of "blows" and "beatings" in a poetic form.

Left to itself, this is a horrible passage. Few would welcome beatings, blows and wounds. But if it is read in the poetic and illustrative fashion that is written, blows and beatings are welcomed.

The proverb is not endorsing abuse of any form. It is, however, in a poetic way, describing what can happen when God allows pain to enter our lives.

Blows and wounds reveal what is poor, what is harmful and what is evil in our lives. We will never know what really rests behind our emotions, our psyche even our experiences unless we endure the poetic blows and wounds to see who we truly are.

Blows and wounds -- again a poetic use of these terms -- reveal where we are weak. Where we are prideful. Where we need help. Struggle exposes the faults we have and strength we did not know existed.

When we endure a proverbial scrubbing, it reveals rebellion in our hearts. It reveals the evils that we know are there, but secretly hope no one else does. Blows and wounds reveal where you need to be stronger as well as strength you did no know, by grace you have been given. They reveal pride, arrogance even idolatry. Blows, wounds and scrubbing push us to get better.

God allows blows, wounds and scrubbing to reveal where it is he desires to work in your life to work through your life.

The problem with being pushed to get better is that it hurts, but you get better.