The morning after
Don’t you just hate that feeling you get when you realise that you have successfully executed a mess up of a massive scale? You get that sick feeling in your stomach, you wait expectantly for the ground to swallow you up and all you want to do is hide from the world and from yourself.
Now would be good time for me to clear something up...
no, this post is not about one night stands and emergency contraception!
yes, the title was meant to trap you into thinking that this would be about the morning after pill!
As I was saying, I know that post mess-up feeling all too well. It’s the upset stomach I would get after “borrowing” (aka. stealing) my sister’s chocolates from under her pillow or making a series of foolish drunken boo-boos on a night out. I think the worst part of this post-mess up period is the wait for the penalty to follow. It’s that moment when I would await the punishment as my sister realised that I was the infamous chocolate bandit. It's the moment I would wake up to the reeking stench of alcohol on my breath and wait for the impending hangover to echo the foolishness from the night before.
In that moment you are well aware of the gravity of your mess up. Guilt and disappointment instantly kick in. Your mind races with thoughts of “Should have…Could have…Would have” If you are anything like me, you start thinking of ways to make up for your mess up.
You make unrealistic promises- “I promise I will use all my pocket money to buy you tons of chocolates”, “That was my last drink, my last joint, never again”. Ha! Of course the remorse and personal vows only last until the next mess up, which is almost always bigger than the one before.
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness-1 John 1:19
Understanding God’s response to my mess ups still boggles my mind. His response is pure forgiveness- He doesn't habour any resentment towards me, He excuses my offense without exacting a penalty. Basically all I have to do is own up to what I did and He takes it from there. Not only does He forgive the mess up, He helps me make sure it never happens again! It’s that simple!
You would think that anyone would jump to accept this incredible deal. Yet, often times I find myself going back to “my way” of dealing sin. I go through the motions all over again. I wallow in guilt and shame. I beg for forgiveness and vow to be better next time, yet He and I both know that I can never keep to that promise without His help.
Receiving God’s forgiveness means accepting His unfathomable grace. It means understanding the fact that you are not defined by your latest mess up. If you were to rob a bank today, everyone would call you a thief right? They would attach your identity to your sin. Yet God calls you by your name not by your sin.
Wait. Take a moment. Let that sink in.
The thing about God’s grace and forgiveness is it’s a gift that He gives freely, but as you know, the whole ‘gift’ concept involves two parties and two actions:
A Giver, who intentionally gives.
A Receiver, who intentionally receives the gift.
Receiving God’s forgiveness is actually quite simple- it’s not some complex ten step program! It’s something that you can do even while you read this post.
If you would like to take the lunge and allow God to work through your mess, all you have to do is respond to the conversation He started more than 2000 years ago when He hung on a cross to as payment for your sins. In your own words, you can confess your ‘mess up’, and receive His forgiveness.
*NB this is not about the power of a ‘magic wand’ prayer, but the power of truly committing our lives to the Saviour of the world If you would like to find out what that really means, feel free to drop me a mail