If you’ve ever lived in a hard-water area then you’ll know a little about limescale. If left untreated, limescale continually deposits calcium and magnesium that ultimately damage pipes, washing machines, kettles…etc. Over time the build-up of these minerals leaves an unsightly and hard to get rid of mess. The healthy pipes or components of a machine are then seriously impaired in their functioning and left looking dull and ugly.

If you try and rub away the limescale then you’ll damage the surface underneath. If you leave it, it will continue to grow and build-up more and more deposits.

The only way to get rid of limescale is to soak it in a substance that is more acidic than the limescale itself. A substance that is stronger, that has more power than the limescale. Lemon juice, vinegar… the problem isn’t usually finding an appropriate acid but making sure the acid stays in contact with the damaged surface long enough to do its job.

The limescale needs to soak in the presence of the treatment.

The effect of sin is a little like limescale. You might not notice it at first. But, left unchecked, it will leave deposits. It will make a mess. And, it will ultimately damage the healthy bits of your life causing you to be impaired in functioning and living out your purpose. In the Message transliteration of the Bible, David is all too aware of his sin and cries out to God,

Generous in love—God, give grace!

    Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.

Scrub away my guilt,

    soak out my sins in your laundry.

I know how bad I’ve been;

    my sins are staring me down.

Psalm 51:1-3 MSG

We need to sit in Jesus’ presence to allow him to soak away and deal with the effects of our hard-water hearts and the build-up of sin in our lives. The way you prevent limescale from returning is to create softer water. In our case, that would be a more malleable heart, soft and open to the Spirit. We need to stay in contact with the presence of the Lord not only to strip away the damage already caused, but also to prevent future build-up.

Because, when limescale is removed, the pipes / kettle / washing machine… can function as they were meant to. The elements are returned to their former, shiny glory. They can do the job they were designed for. They can fulfil their purpose. Psalm 51 ends like this,

 Make Zion the place you delight in,

    repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls.

Then you’ll get real worship from us,

    acts of worship small and large,

Including all the bulls

    they can heave onto your altar!

Psalm 51:18-19 MSG

When we soak in the presence of the Lord, allowing Jesus to strip away the mess of our sin, allowing him to treat our hard hearts, and repair our brokenness we are then able to function as we were truly meant to – to give him “acts of worship small and large…” to give him “real worship”.

Want to be shiny again? Go do some soaking in the presence of One more powerful than you. Just make sure you stay in contact with Him!