Lessons from a Dishwasher

Recently, I installed a new dishwasher and garbage disposal in our kitchen. We had been without them (and even without a kitchen sink) for a while during a remodel. I was excited to surprise my wife when she got home so we could finally use them again after washing dishes in a bathroom sink.

That evening, we loaded the dishwasher with excitement, turned it on, and walked away. A little while later, we heard a small beep. When my wife went to check on it, she opened the door to find the bottom filled with dirty water.

“Honey, we have a problem.”

My first thought was that I might have kinked the drain line. So, I removed it, placed it in a bucket, and turned the dishwasher back on. Sure enough, it drained perfectly into the bucket.

That’s when it hit me—I had forgotten to remove the plug inside the garbage disposal that allows the dishwasher to drain properly. Once I removed it, everything worked just as it should.

Later that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment. I’ve installed plenty of sinks, dishwashers, and disposals over the years. Was it laziness? Being in a hurry? Forgetfulness? Maybe a little of all three. But one thing became clear in my heart:

That dirty, stagnant water had to be removed before we could enjoy clean dishes again.

And isn’t that true in our walk with Jesus Christ?

There are times when it can feel difficult to take in the fresh Word of God—to be nourished by it—because something inside us hasn’t been cleared out. When we don’t ask God to remove the sin in our lives, it lingers, much like that dirty water, affecting everything.

This reminds me of Proverbs 19:24:
“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.”

It’s a striking image. There is provision right in front of him, yet he does nothing with it.

The Apostle Paul addressed a similar struggle in the early church—people trying to hold onto old ways of thinking while embracing new life in Christ:

“Indeed, Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness.”
1 Corinthians 1:22-23

Sometimes, we do the same. We want the peace, the joy, and the nourishment that comes from God, but we hesitate to let go of the things that are holding us back.

When we don’t allow God to deal with the sin in our lives, it has nowhere to go. It lingers, affecting our thoughts, our words, and our actions. It’s like trying to enjoy a meal from a dish that was never properly cleaned.

But what a beautiful truth we are given in Christ: we don’t have to stay stuck there.

When we confess and repent, when we bring those things before the Lord, it’s like removing that plug. Suddenly, what was blocked can flow freely. The cleansing begins. The refreshing comes.

God’s Holy Spirit moves in us and through us in ways that restore and renew.

And just like that dishwasher finally working the way it was designed to, our lives begin to reflect His goodness more clearly.

That is my prayer for you:  that you would experience the cleansing, the freedom, and the refreshing that comes from walking fully with the Lord.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Dan