To get on my knees and own my mistakes...to call them what they really are? Do I desire the life Jesus talks about in John 10:10?
Sure, they can be 'learning opportunities', 'stepping stones to a better me', 'someone else's fault', 'a slip of the tongue', 'an innocent mistake' or my favorite...'you know I didn't mean it'.
Yup, they CAN go by all those names, but here's the thing...it's still sin. And sin requires ME to acknowledge My part and seek forgiveness from God and sometimes the other person (even IF they may not know I said or did something against them)
So the question is...am I willing to call my sin what it is and seek forgiveness and ultimately restoration?
Here is what just a snippet of scripture has to say....
From the Old Testament: "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."
~2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)~
From Jesus..."For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14,15 NIV)
From Paul... "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:12-14 NIV)
And from John, later in his life.... "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10 NIV)
Hmmmmm....that is just a tiny snippet of what God's Word has to say about sin, forgiveness & restoration. The number of verses seems virtually unending!
So I end right where I started...
Do I desire the life Jesus talks about in John 10:10?
The answer is: YES!
Am I willing To get on my knees and own my mistakes...to call them what they really are?
