MESSY MOMENTS



Is your life a mess right now? What created the mess? What did you do to contribute to this mess? Where did you go wrong? Too often it is easy to blame your problems elsewhere. Does the phrase, “It’s not my fault!” sound familiar? Refusing to acknowledge your role in your mess only ensures that the mess will continue because nothing ever changes. If the cause of the mess is your sinful disobedience, it’s time to admit it, confess it and repent of it. “Have mercy on me, O God…For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” (Psalm 51:1,3-4)

You cannot un-mess your life until you’re ready to own up to your responsibility in everything you’re dealing with. When you own up to it the Bible says that God cleanses you from all unrighteousness. You may still have a mess to deal with, but now you can deal with it through his power and with his help.

You might acknowledge that your life is like a roller-coaster right now.  But you would stand and say that it’s not the result of willful disobedience. You would add, “It’s because I made some choices that I shouldn’t have made. I made choices that turned out to be not so smart. I wasn’t trying to do wrong. I was trying to do the right thing, but I just made a bad choice. It wasn’t intentional but it has really wreaked havoc in my life.” The process for dealing with this is the same. You confront the cause of the bad choice. You acknowledge your role in all that’s going on around you.

If you want to minimize your roller-coaster life then develop a strategy for making tough choices and difficult decisions that will prevent you from taking extended trips on that roller-coaster. Decide beforehand how you will handle a given situation and stick to your plan. Put a plan in place. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. If a football team is facing 3rd and 12 the coach doesn’t stand on the sidelines scratching his head. No, the coach already has a plan in place for every possible down-and-yardage situation. When 3rd and 12 comes up he’s got a guideline to go by.

If your past behavior keeps creating a mess in your life then it is time to correct your course. If you will think it through and follow through you will find these messy situations won’t come up nearly as often and won’t hang around nearly as long.

If you’re in the middle of a messy moment in your life, know this, God can redeem your situation. You don’t have to live the rest of your life in a perpetual state of pandemonium. God can help you get back on track. His mercy is mighty and his grace is great. You can experience through the power of God stability and peace.

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