Rock On!

[Jesus said] I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matthew 16:18 

 

 Peter denied Christ and felt so incredibly horrible that he wept bitterly.  He would have done pretty much anything for a do-over. How easy would it have been for Jesus to tell Peter, "You messed up this time! You have no place in My mission! YOU are DONE!"

 

I've seen an adage which goes something like this: "Do everything right, no one notices.  People only focus on the mistakes."  We're good about forgetting the good people do.  We're also good and zeroing in on the mistakes others do, without ever looking at the mistakes we do.  Then we have the audacity of wondering why morale drops, depression sets in, and people become jaded. Why do we do that?  

 

 How many times have you wanted another chance?  The cold, hard fact of the matter is that what's done is done, what's said is said, nothing can be undone, unsaid, or unseen.  Our time on this marble only moves forward.  That's the bad news.

The good news is that God is the God of second chances.  Jesus not only forgave Peter for denying Him, He went a step further and gave Peter another chance.  Not just any chance, but the chance beyond Peter's wildest dreams!  God knows ALL of our mistakes, but chooses to focus on our potential.

Second Chance!

I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you.

Ezekiel 36:27 

 

There have been many (many, many, many) times, as I look back on my life, where I have been allowed a second chance.  I, like so many of us, am very prone to screw life up more times than not.  And when a second chance is offered, what a wonderful feeling!

 

I've already made some New Year's Resolutions:

     *     I will not eat asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower.

     *     I will strive to more tolerant of those who dislike meat.

     *     I will strive to be more encouraging.

     *     I will strive to be more positive and optimistic.

 

I may, once again, fail miserably as I have in years past when I made resolutions.  Look at this 1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible.  Someone found it in a barn and restored it, now it has a second chance!    But God offers us second chances!

Second Chances Are......

God, you pulled me out of the grave,
    gave me another chance at life
    when I was down-and-out.

~Psalm 30:3 

 

There are some instances where a second chance just isn't an option....once you're past your teen years, you don't get a second chance at reliving them (try though some might).  You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.  

 

We are fortunate if we work for someone who is willing to give second chances.  We are very fortunate if we are married to someone who is willing to give us second chances.  You see, when a second chance (a TRUE second chance) is given, you are expected to understand that improvement is needed.  It is also good to know that the first mistake (which led to the second chance) will not be held against us.

 

God is not only the God of second chances, but He is in the business of pulling us up when we are down and REMINDING us that every breath is a second chance!  You didn't speak to the person you should have, yet God brings that person across your path again.  And even again.  And maybe even AGAIN.  

 

I can honestly tell you, and openly admit, God has pulled me back from the brink more than once, and has given me second chances I didn't ask for or deserve.  He does it with every breath he gives me.  He doesn't have to......probably shouldn't have......but I am grateful for every single one.  How about you?  Need a second chance?  God is in that business.   

Just One More Chance.....PLEASE?

All who have been united with Christ in baptism 

have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 

~Galatians 3:27

 

Have you ever messed up so badly that your prayer wasn't "Help!" rather is was more "Please God tell me You didn't see that"?  

  

When I first became a Christian, I admit that I wasn't very clear on the concepts of Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness.  I spend (wasted) so much time trying not to mess up and worrying about whether I had messed up and not realized it.  And, of course, the enemy loves to play games with people like me, "Are you SURE you didn't think something bad just now?  Try NOT to think about how angry that person makes you!"  I would even go so far as to write down the things I knew I had done wrong so I could ask God to specifically forgive me for them.  And guess what?  When I had a "not too bad" day, I was cocky and proud of myself!  When my day was "a horrible very bad no good" day, I was crushed.  So I spent the first years as a believer on this rollercoaster and ended up feeling pretty worthless.

 

Finally, I saw a quote from Martin Luther, "Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly!"  Was he giving me permission to do whatever I wanted and to sin freely without regret?  Absolutely not!  It's the last part that caught my attention, "But believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly."  You see, Martin Luther got it!  He understood the truth that we are going to mess up (Thank you Adam and Eve), but because of the sacrifice of Christ we are given second chances!

 

Then someone showed me Romans 7:15 where the Apostle Paul openly states, "For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate."  The Apostle Paul messed up!  That brought a huge sense of relief to me.  

 

Then I was reminded of the people that God had given second chances:

     *  Samson was a proud womanizer, God gave him a second chance to fulfill God's plan for him. 

     *  Sarah LAUGHED OUT LOUD when she heard God's messengers telling Abraham that she would bear a son at 99 years old, yet God gave her a second chance to fulfill God's plan for her.

     *  Peter denied Jesus THREE TIMES (and with profanity), yet God gave him a second chance to fulfill God's plan for him.

     *  Saul (who became Paul) tried to destroy Christianity, yet God gave him a second chance to fulfill God's plan for him.

 

You see, God is the God of second chances, and because, as believers, we have put on Christ like a new garment, God sees Christ when He looks at us.  There's no better feeling than knowing that God has forgiven me in spite of me.  And that God has given me second chance(s) to fulfill His plan for me.