God, I Messed Up Again…

Jun

15

2010

I was five years old when I accepted Christ as my Savior.  There were times, while I was growing up, that I sinned and thought, “Will God ever see past this?  Will He still love me?”  It really wasn’t until I was an adult that I was able to answer those questions with any level of surety.

Psalm 103 is a reminder of the benefits of God, and included in those benefits is God’s ability to remove our sins and the level of His love for us.

Psalm 103:8-12
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

I believe that God’s love for us is incredibly larger than we could ever comprehend.  We break God’s heart in so many ways because of sin, but I also believe that God knows who really fears Him, who really cares about breaking His heart, and His love is so great for those who fear Him.

I remember, as a kid, when I would do something wrong and my parents would punish me, it was never as bad as the times that I was told that they were disappointed in me.  The love and respectful fear that I had for my parents caused my own heart to grieve when I let them down.  The fear of God in verse 11 is similar to that respectful fear that I had for my parents, just bigger.

This also brings to light the difference between someone who makes a mistake and someone who is rebelliously defying God.  There is no fear or respect in rebellion, and God knows when we are acting out of defiance.  I believe that in those situations, He is “slow to anger” and still “does not treat us as we deserve,” but I also believe that there is a breaking point, a time that God says, “enough is enough.”  Galations 6:7-8 says it very clearly, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

It is the condition of our hearts that is the issue.  What is the condition of your heart?  Do you want to please God with everything that you are, but sometimes you mess up, bringing disappointment in yourself for breaking His heart, or do you simply do whatever you want to do, hoping that every time you “send a little prayer up” He’ll forgive you so that you can start all over again?

If you are among those that truly want to please God, but you find yourself making mistakes and wondering if God could possibly still love you, He does!!  He loves you more than you can comprehend, and if you will ask Him to forgive you, He will not only forgive your sins, but He will also remove them so far that they will never return to His memory.

If you are among those that want to live for the moment and hope to one day completely turn your life over to Christ in true submission and respectful fear, I pray that you will do that today!  You are never guaranteed tomorrow.

Tonya is a producer for Steelroots, met her husband while playing World of Warcraft, and they are expecting their first child.

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