1. Sin is a Messy Business
Just like sin, changing diapers is a messy business. My wife and I have experienced this first-hand plenty of times with our three-week-old son. He has peed on us, pooped on us, vomited on us, you name it! In the same sense sin can be, and is, very messy. It not only impacts your life, but those around you—especially those closest to you. Sin is real and the choices you make—whether to sin or not to sin—have real-life consequences that you can’t escape.
2. Most People Don’t Like Giving Up Their Sins
Babies don’t like getting their diapers changed. I don’t know if it’s the fact that they don’t realize that they are dirty, but they just do not like to be cleaned. Once you’ve come to acknowledge your sins—be they vices, addictions, or whatever unhealthy behaviors—you’ve got to do something about them. It’s not enough to say you’re a sinner, you’ve got to take serious steps to overcome them. That’s not to say that it will be easy by any means. Desperate times call for desperate measures. St. Augustine is famous for saying “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.” You know sin negatively effects your life, yet it often feels so good!
3. It’s an Intimate Encounter that Requires Trust
Not anyone can change a diaper. It is the parents’ responsibility to maintain a level of corporeal cleanliness for the health of their baby.If you’re a Catholic you are given the unique opportunity to come before those ordained to the priestly ministry to confess your sins and receive cleansing, in this case absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Mt 16:19 and Jn 20:23.
It’s easy to confess your sinfulness to God alone in your prayers, but to do it so that others can hear, or worse yet face-to-face with a priest can make even the toughest of the tough feel insecure and vulnerable. It requires trust. Trust that your sins won’t be hung out for the world to see. A baby doesn’t like having his “business” out for the world to see either, but he finds comfort in the loving care of his parents.
4. God is Willing to Get His Hands Dirty
As a father I am willing to do whatever I must for the well-being of my son. It’s a powerful position to be gifted with, which provides a special insight to the love of the Father for His children. I’m willing to get my hands dirty—and believe you me, I often do—in order to care for my child. God also is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we keep clean. He became like one of us, was born of a woman, suffered, died, and was buried all to rise on the third day and conquer sin and death that we would be freed from our sins. Talk about getting your hands dirty. What father wouldn’t give his life for his children?
5. Once a Sinner, Always a Sinner
What my son loves to do is wait until I’ve just finished changing his diaper to decide that he has to go to the bathroom again. He can’t help it. When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go, right? I’ve sinned, you’ve sinned, we’ve all sinned. And although you have the free gift of being cleansed of your sins and reconciled to God, you will no doubt sin again. You will always be a sinner, because that’s part of our fallen human nature. We tend to do sinful things. Lucky for you you have a merciful God who doesn’t mind changing your diaper again and again.
What are some methods you use to maintain a clear conscience and stay sin free?