If you’re around my age or older, you probably remember Madge the Manicurist from a particular dishwashing soap commercial. Ladies would come into her shop, complaining about the ill treatment their workaday housewife hands endured in the struggle to cut through grease and removed baked on cheese from their cookware.

Come to find out, Madge had a secret: a bottle of bright green cleanliness that not only made your dishes absolutely gleam but also possessed magical curative powers that worked wonders on one’s overworked skin and cuticles.

And what did one have to do to experience the wonder of shining pots and pans and hands? Simple: soak in it. Soak in this amazing soapy liquid and your hands would be as good as new.

The same principle applies to how we approach our everyday lives. What are we to do when we find ourselves troubled with worrisome, baked-on cares? How do we cut through the greasy mess of anxiety?

Don’t grab the dish soap. Grab God’s word.

And soak in it.

Look up passages dealing with what you’re facing. Read about His love and mercy and grace. Pray. Trust in what He says. Believe.

I realize I often sound like a broken record. But repetition is what we need. We need to be reminded on a daily basis that we are God’s children, and He loves us. He is sovereign over everything – even our problems.

But, while God can use our troubles to draw us nearer to Him, we must remember that seeking comfort and solace and solutions for our lives is not what our main goal should be. Rather, we need to seek the Lord for Who He is as opposed to merely what He can do for us.

It’s about building a relationship with our Father through Jesus Christ. Building a relationship takes time and purpose. It means spending time with the one you’re getting to know.

And the best way to get to know God is by spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer. As Madge might say, soaking in it.

So spend time with Jesus. Seek Him daily. Get into His Word, and soak it in. He will take away even your toughest, grimiest mess and leave you with a sparkling clean you can feel. He will change your life!