"Why are dumpsters so... DIRTY?" This is the question my oldest son, who's 10, asked me after he took the trash out yesterday. He's a bit of a germaphobe. Ok, maybe that's an understatement. I heard him taking a shower at an odd time yesterday and asked him why he was showering in the middle of the afternoon. He replied that he always showers after eating an ice cream treat. Hmm... On the bright side, he keeps his bathroom spic and span.
My son's silly question got me to thinking about a conversation I had with my 6 year old daughter recently. I was explaining to her for the umpteenth time why we are in need of a Savior and she got this funny look on her face and squeeked with incredulity, "You mean, WE'RE SINNERS?" Hopefully this was an aha moment for her! Now you may be wondering why the dumpster comment reminded me of my daughter's surprise over her sin nature. My response to both of them was essentially the same. Dumpsters are dirty because they are full of garbage. It is the very nature of a dumpster to be dirty. How could it be anything other than dirty? It's not possible, unless it were to no longer function as a repository of waste. To my daughter, I explained that we are sinners, because it is our nature.
This is known as the doctrine of total depravity.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." Romans 5:12
"There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They all have turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is no one who does good, no, not one." Romans 3:10-12
"But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
And there is no one who calls on Your name." Isaiah 64:6-7a
By the grace of God, the story does not end with our depravity.
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God
has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10
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- Celee
- I'm an on-the-run mom to 6 kids who studied and taught exercise science in a previous life. I love all things running, nutrition, and health-related. I usually run at zero dark thirty in the morning and am often quite hungry before, during, and after my run, but I live a rich, full, blessed life with my children, family, and friends. My faith in God is my anchor, and looking to Him and His promises allows me to live fully even when life circumstances are difficult. While running gives me an appetite, my desire is to hunger and thirst for righteousness more than for physical food.
Perfect explanation! Great post!!!
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor who is like a grandma to our kids taught my toddler daughter to answer the question, "How depraved are you?"
ReplyDeleteIn her broken (speech delayed) English she answers, "toalwy."
Too, cute.
Also, whenever our baby or toddler pitches a fit we often tell them that their "depravity is showing." :-)