Mess Up Beyond Help?

Have you ever felt as though you have messed up so badly that you were beyond help?  Perhaps you know someone who has felt this way.  I know I have felt this way more than a few times in my time on this Earth.  And the question that echoed in my mind was "Okay, what now?"  

Listen carefully to the voice of experience (for Experience is a Harsh Teacher); trying to hide your messed up life doesn't work!  You cannot pretend it away.  You can't "fake it 'til you make it."

First, if you have messed up....FACE IT!  Admit it!  Confess it! Most of our screw-ups are because of something WE have said and/or done.  "But if we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done" - 1 John 1:9  

How much will He forgive us?  "He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west" - Psalm 103:12. 

Second, accept that God has forgiven you!  Now this does not mean the consequences of our decisions will suddenly become all bright and sunny.  But accepting God's forgiveness makes our burden not so heavy.

Third, understand that God you are still here on Earth for a reason and God is going to use your experiences to help you and prove that He is God.  "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" - Romans 8:28

Yes, you may have to slog through some swamp water for a bit, but you WILL come out of it with a renewed sense of purpose.  And it will take patience!  Don't give up!  Keep stepping forward!