Imagine you are going to run a marathon. You hear about it months before the event and you decide firmly that you will run in it, but you realize you have a ways to go to be in shape and ready for it. So you began practicing for it everyday by running a few miles. As each day of training passes, you get better and better and you run for longer distances. You run through rain, and you run through mud puddles. You run when it is 98 degrees outside and you run when it is humid. You run in the early morning when you would have rather slept. You do everything in your power to be prepared for this big marathon. You read the rule books and the know the statistical averages and you go above and beyond to be above the average runner.
Now the day finally comes. You wake up and have an awesome breakfast and have orange juice (I heard that it boosts energy? who knows...it could just be hearsay) and get to the location that the marathon is to start at. You are extremely anxious and excited. You give your coach a thumbs up and you and the other runners line up at the starting line and the guy starts counting down...
and what do you do?
you false start.
You stand dumbfounded at your mistake, and dont want to face the ultimate consequence.
You are kicked out of the race.
-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-
Does the fact that you screwed up take away all those months of training?
No...you are still a good runner, you just weren't able to prove it to the judges. But you are now in shape and you've developed a better lifestyle.
As a Christian we can be so obedient to Christ, and so on fire for Him. We can be on such a spiritual high that all our heart's desire is to do God's will and go where He leads.
But what always happens? We do something stupid and we feel as though the whole time we've been doing good is wiped out. For example. Sexual purity. We can be going so good with our thoughts and actions and suddenly, we give it all for a random experience. Keep in mind that up until that point, if you were striving towards Christ each and every day, the fact that you made that mistake, doesnt take away the fact that God has taught you things and taken you places to make you stronger.
If indeed you have screwed up with something Christ has been training you for...don't let the devil get any more power over you. He already has his foot in the door, don't let him come in any farther. Just because you messed up that time, doesnt mean you have to keep doing it because "well i already screwed things up this far, might as well keep going".
Dont get in that mind set. Jesus knows that we will fall down periodically. He's there to pick us right back up. Don't just stay on the ground wallowing in guilt over your actions. Use your experience to add to your testimony to help others who might go through the same thing.
What is God's mercy and grace for anyways? We gotta be taught humility once in a while through our mistakes. Let God use you for good!
-Kristy
-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus; the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1-3 |
Kristy, I appreciated your blog. It is true that Christians, and non-Christians, think that they have to be perfect in order to please or be associated with Christ. But it is not true...Jesus is the perfector of our faith, not us. We cannot achieve perfection on our own. Jesus desires us to possess a faith that is passionate and will persevere. Unfortunately, it is very common for people to get discouraged when they do make mistakes because they fail to adequately understand that we live in a state of grace & forgiveness because of Christ's death, burial & resurrection. Through Christ, we represent the righteousness of God, not because of what we do, but because of what Christ has already done & continues to do (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jeremiah 2:13 says, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
I believe the same thing could be said of God's people today. We are trying to live godly lives "apart" from God and dependant upon ourselves. This is part of the reason personal "failure" both physically & spiritually, is so hard on us.
Kristy, in the words of Jude 21, "Keep yourself in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."