We can start over again! Is that not wonderful news to know my friends? It does not matter what we have done or where we have been, we can begin again? It is quite liberating and reassuring to know that our God is one who forgives and forgets. He is not like man who continually reminds, condemns and writes us off. God is a restorer who mends and does not discard. With Him, our broken lives are not the end of our stories; we can move on and write new scripts.
That is something that we need to pause and thank God for. He has often been called the God of the ‘second chance’, but He is a God who offers us multiple chances. He is indeed a merciful God. He is the God of unlimited grace. As long as we humbly acknowledge our failures, and desire to start again, He will enable us. What a glorious privilege! Jesus is committed to mend and heal, not break or quench those who have failed Him. He desires to give us a fresh start regardless of our failures. Every morning offers a new beginning. In fact, every second offers us another chance. God knows and understands that we are humans and from time to time we will mess up.
We serve a God of new beginnings. You can begin again and again. It does not matter how old or young you are. It does not matter what you have done or have not done. None of that matters to God. He knows that, as Adam’s descendants, messing things up comes naturally and effortlessly to us. Therefore He is always willing to help us – to restore us.
There are numerous stories in the Bible that highlight the weaknesses of those who messed up, but He forgave them and used them mightily. Here are just a few of them:
? Abraham lied and put Sarah at risk.
? Jacob was a cheat and self-promoting con artist.
? Moses was a murderer who was determined to do things his own way and ended up a fugitive.
? David was an adulterer and a conspiratorial assassin who betrayed a faithful friend.
? Peter turned his back on Christ.
? Rehab was a prostitute.
? Noah was a drunk.
? Samson was a womanizer.
? Judas was a traitor.
? Zacchaeus, the tree-climbing tax collector, was a thief.
Yet God used each of them to accomplish His will. And He will use you too because ‘where sin abounded, grace abounded much more’ (Romans 5:20). So you can start again, my friend. Don’t let anyone condemn you. God offers the opportunity to begin again to anyone who has missed the mark. Whatever your condition is, today, God holds out His hands to you and beckons you to this place of Beginning Again. He says in His Word, “Forgetting the things that are behind, reaching forward. . .” (Phil. 3: 13; Heb. 12:2). As surely as pardon awaits the guilty sinner, so surely forgiveness of your every mistake and failure awaits you in this place of beginning again.
Don’t allow the enemy to hold you hostage. Don’t allow guilt to paralyze you either. Allow today to be a time of renewal or even a new beginning. The news of the Old Testament to the New, from the beginning of Scripture to the end of it, is that God is a God of people who start over. You can be one of them. God offers you the opportunity to begin again. You can do this by yielding yourself and your life to His skilled, purposeful, and loving hands. If you want a new beginning with God, it is available. Just reach out to Him, right now, right where you are. He is waiting on you to do so.
Some of us may desire a fresh start in our partnerships, our families; our relationship with our children, our parents, our teachers – our work colleagues, our neighbours. Today can be that day that we can forgive them and seek their forgiveness also. It is never too late to….begin again!
BEGIN AGAIN
There’d be times when you’d mess up big
times you’d fail
times you’d trip so hard
you’d get knocked down bad
Times like that you’d want to quit
but BEGIN AGAIN.
There’d be times when you’d say
“Enough is enough,
I’ve really had it now,
why bother trying?”
Yeah, there’d be times you’d get so tired
but still, BEGIN AGAIN.
There’d be times you’d think
you’ve just lost everything
times you’ve risked it all
and got back nothin’
Times like that you’d feel
everything you’ve worked so hard for
were in vain, but BEGIN AGAIN.
Begin again,
try again,
believe again,
love again.
There’d be a second wind,
there’d be another star,
there’d be another hand,
to help you rise again.
Don’t start quitting,
never stop dreaming.
A new tomorrow waits
for those who dare –
to BEGIN AGAIN.
(Author Unknown)
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre/
