Have I Messed Up Too Much?

Today, I'm changing the format of today's devotion.  I know, I know, it's change and "change is bad."  Trust me on this.

Have you ever felt as though you had messed up SO badly that even God couldn't possibly have a plan for your life?  Ever been told that you had offended others so much that even God couldn't undo the offense?  Have you ever TRIED to mess up so badly that you thought God couldn't possibly use you to help anyone? 

I admit it.  I have thought all those things, and even more.  And God has proven me wrong over and over.  Not only has He proven me wrong, but more times than not He has proven it in spite of my situation and in spite of me.

Remember Joseph?  His brothers had sold him into slavery, and Joseph found favor with his new boss, Potiphar, who put him in charge of his household.  Now, that would be a great job for Joseph, but Mrs. Potiphar had other ideas.  She got Joseph in trouble and thrown into prison.  Joseph spent a long time in prison and all the while, God was orchestrating EVERYTHING to bring His plan for Joseph to fruition.  Finally, Joseph found favor with Pharoah and was put in charge of the entire land of Egypt second only to Pharoah.  Now Joseph's brothers had come to Egypt to by food due to a famine and there they encountered Joseph.  Long story short, Joseph told his brothers "You meant me harm, BUT God intended it for a good purpose, so He could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day" (Genesis 50:20).

Now, Joseph could have told his brothers, "I'm offended by what you did to me and what you said about me. So I'm going to tell my boss and let him deal with you."  But what good would that have done?  We get offended far too easily by far too much.  If we stop for a moment and ask, what GOOD does my hurt feelings do? We would probably realize it would do more GOOD if we decided to seek God's plan for our life FIRST.  Consider this: "Nothing can stop God's plans for your life" - Isaiah 14:22.  Did you catch that?  NOTHING can stop God's plans!  So we have a choice, rejoice that God's plans are unfolding or we can pout, either way God's plans will arrive with or without our approval.

Let me tell you something that I am still learning...I may THINK I have messed up so badly that even God can't turn it around into something good, BUT the truth is I'm not that powerful enough to thwart God's plans.  You see, God takes all the pieces of our broken lives, our screw-ups, the times we try to force our plans on Him, the times when we fell face first in the muck, the times that we thought we were so very important, and He uses them to shape His masterpiece for us.  This is why the Apostle Paul reminds us, "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.  

God is God and we are not!  And aren't you glad.

"Once Upon A Time..."

Let us think of ways to inspire one another to acts of love and good works.

Hebrews 10:24 

 

There was a time I felt compelled to write a book, yet I had quite the dilemma as to how to start, where to start, and what to include.  You see, there are parts of my life that I am not proud of, parts that would bore even a sloth enough to make him run away.  Yet we all have those instances in our lives that we would really rather forget.

 

When I have a chance to talk to the new hires for the Sheriff's Department, I always tell them "I have over 50 years of doing life wrong, and because of that, I have learned enough to walk with you through pretty much any situation you may find yourself."  And it's true, isn't it?  We learn from our mistakes and, because of that, we are able to help others.  If we don't learn from our mistakes, God is patient and we will keep making the same mistakes until we finally do learn.

 

Think about your life's story so far. Are you willing to let your life serve as an inspiration for someone else?  You have endured trials and yet you still choose to live each day instead of hiding.  You have made mistakes, endured the consequences, and learned from them.  You have overcome.    How much more inspiring can a life story get?

 

How can we inspire each other to acts of love and good works?  By letting our lives serve as a source of inspiration!! 

Challenge for Today: Remember Where You Came From

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

 

Experience teaches us many things (usually by doing them wrong and we learn from our mistakes).  In fact, with enough experience, we become experts and can be elevated in status, rank, and prestige.  However, one thing all our experiences don't teach us...to remember where we came from.  You see, as we learn more, strive more, become better at all we do, we tend to forget our times of struggle and heartache it took to get us where we are.  We forget that we aren't perfect, that we all have a past, that we all are really still students.

 

We are called to follow the example of Christ in that we are here to humbly serve each other, not expect others to serve us.  When we become so "important" that we are the only ones who matter, then we have lost the example that Christ set for us.

 

Today's Challenge: Remember where you came from and what you had to endure to get where you are...then humble yourself and help someone else who is struggling.