[While we’re traveling in Argentina, I thought I’d post some of the things that I’ve written for the HopeForLife.org blog; they’ve also been posted to Heartlight. Comments are moderated until I get back; sorry about that folks. Some people don’t know how to play nice.]
There was a time in my life when I thought Liquid Paper was the high point of technological advances. What could be better than a product that could cover up your mistakes? It was the student’s best friend (well, at least those of us who couldn’t afford to pay someone to type our papers for us). You would type a line and make a mistake. Dab on some whiteout and … VOILA! The mistake was gone. After a few seconds of blowing on the paper, you could type over the error (hopefully with the right letter this time). Of course, the messy splotch on the page told everyone you’d made a mistake.Then I was introduced to the computer (back in the day when disks were floppy and “hard drive” referred to driving through the Arizona desert with a 55-mph speed limit). And I discovered the UNDO command. Type … mess up … hit UNDO … your mistake was gone. And no one could tell that you had made it. Later came programs with multiple UNDOs and even unlimited UNDOs. It became easier and easier to fix things that were done wrong. Now I hate it when I discover something can’t be undone. It’s frustrating to do something on the computer, change my mind about it, and then find that I can’t go back. What’s done is done. I sit and think harsh thoughts about computer programmers, rather than face the fact that I’m the one that made the mistake.
Don’t you wish life had an UNDO button? Something that would let you turn back the clock and make it as if you’d never made a mistake? I’ve found that it does, in a way. The Bible tells me that God is willing to take my mistakes and move them away from me “as far as the east is from the west.” Through Jesus, I can be continually forgiven for the mistakes I make. When I am in a relationship with God, when I have fully identified myself with God’s son Jesus, I can have full confidence that he will UNDO all of my mistakes. I may still have to face consequences for my actions, but all guilt will be taken away. And that’s a good feeling.
Think about letting God give you a fresh start. If you’re not a Christian, I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about joining God’s family. It’s a decision you’ll never want to UNDO.
www.hopeforlife.org
Copyright Herald of Truth ministries