TOO FAR GONE
Recently I had a conversation with a Christian woman who felt she had messed up beyond what God could fix. She said that she is living daily with shame and brokenness that seems beyond repair. She said that she is back in church, and is trying to live the Christian life, but she is obviously carrying a weight that is far too much for her to bear. Going to church is about all she can do, I mean forget ever being used by God again. I couldn’t help but wonder how that makes God feel. He put the weight of our sin on His own Son 2000 years ago. Jesus carried it on the cross, in a very painful, very ugly death. God watched His son take the penalty for us. Now, here we are, pretty much daily, taking back the very thing Jesus died for, putting it on our own shoulders, and trying to bear the weight of it ourselves. Are we saying that what Jesus did just wasn’t enough?
GET BACK UP
I know what you are thinking, because I’ve had the same thoughts…”but you don’t know what I did”, “I________, I couldn’t possibly ever be used by God to reach others.” Yes you can. You can and you should. It is the only way you will every overcome the enemy in your life. His #1 goal was to take you out of the game. You sinned and he achieved what he wanted. But that doesn’t have to be the end. Have you repented? Then you’ve been forgiven. God has thrown that sin as far as the East is from the West. Stop trying to remind Him of it. Get up, dust yourself off and ask God what He wants you to do. He still has a purpose and a plan for your life and it is still good! I love what David said
2 SAMUEL 12:
15 Then Nathan went home. And the Lord caused the son of David and Bathsheba, Uriah’s widow, to be very sick. 16 David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night. 17 The elders of David’s family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.
18 On the seventh day the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, “Look, we tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to listen to us. If we tell him the baby is dead, he may do something awful.”
19 When David saw his servants whispering, he knew that the baby was dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?”
They answered, “Yes, he is dead.”
20 Then David got up from the floor, washed himself, put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord’s house to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.
21 David’s servants said to him, “Why are you doing this? When the baby was still alive, you fasted and you cried. Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food.”
22 David said, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted, and I cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.’ 23 But now that the baby is dead, why should I fast? I can’t bring him back to life. Someday I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me.”
EVERYONE FALLS
David got up, dusted himself off, and moved on. It is time for you to move on. So, you messed up. Everyone falls, some of us get back up and try again. That is what makes the difference.