“Mom, do you ever wonder what your life would’ve been like had you not made the mistakes you’ve made?” My son asked. “I used to think I missed the only plan God had for my life, until I realized He was the God of plan B, plan C, plan D and so on,”
I replied. See. God will always get us to our final destination, if we only trust Him. We all will make mistakes, but God doesn’t disqualify us simply because we have done some wrong things. He’s definitely the God of many chances.
In the Old testament Saul hated Christians…yet God forgave him, changed his name to Paul, and we have most of the New testament because of him. Rahab (my fav) was a prostitute…yet God used her to help deliver the children of Israel.
Notice, first He forgave, then He used their bent/drive to accomplish something. Their menacing became ministries. God is teaching me time and again, when I see someone else’s life and think, I wonder if I could’ve done that. Or, I wish I would’ve done that instead of messing up; God still loves us and wants to use us! If we have asked for His forgiveness, He’s already forgiven us. The question then becomes: Will you forgive yourself?
Maybe, like me, you’ve made some serious mistakes. Done some things that you hate, and now you’re living in the, I wonder what my life would’ve been like void of these mistakes, mentality. You will remain trapped in that way of thinking unless you learn how to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness, and know that He will use all your mistakes as a message of healing for others!
One brief conversation can even weigh on your mind. I said the right words to my son’s question, and thought I felt good about my answer until Satan started whispering to my mind. I was at an event two nights later, and a young woman walked up to me, introduced herself, and said, “Your story changed my life. Hearing that God can heal me, and use me made me feel so shame free!” I hugged her, and in that moment, I knew God was reminding me, not to slip back into that old way of thinking; He still sees me.
Let’s slay this dragon until he can no longer breath fire on us. Let’s not allow our past to make us think we missed the mark, but rather, serve as a reminder that our purpose is in His promises! If you’re living in guilt or condemnation because of your past mistakes- Let it go, my friend! He has forgiven you, and He wants to use you for kingdom stuff! He’s not the God of “second” chances; He’s the God of MANY chances.
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