What does the Bible say about lint?

The two most common forms of lint are belly-button lint and the lint that builds up in your clothes dryer. Neither are mentioned in the Bible, but both can be used to illustrate biblical principles.

Belly-button lint is a powerful reminder that we shouldn't just be clean on the outside, but that we need to spiritually scrub our insides as well. Solomon complimented his lover's navel by comparing it to a goblet (Song of Solomon 7:2). Jesus warned us against cleaning the outside of a cup while leaving its inside full of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25). So, belly-button lint, which no one else can see, should remind us to work on the parts of our lives that are less obvious.

The need to remove lint from the dryer lint trap should remind us to regularly confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). Just as dryer lint has to be removed frequently to avoid a clog and to keep a dryer functioning at peak performance, so do we need the regular cleansing that comes with confessing our sins to God in order to maintain a close walk with Christ.

Lint should have nothing to do with Lent—in the Bible or your dryer. It is not a good idea to refrain from cleaning out your dryer trap for forty days. Could start a house fire.

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