A Clean Slate!

Do you ever wish that you could turn back time, or go back and do something different? Maybe do things different with your children when they were little. Or maybe you wish that you could go back to your young adult years and get that degree from college that you always wanted but never pursued. Maybe you are still a young adult and are not getting that degree that you always wanted but feel it is too late to start now because everyone is younger and you would be starting late. Ever wish that you could change the outcome of a friendship gone bad because of a misunderstanding? Or wish that you could have handled a situation differently and not let your emotions drive you? Ever wonder what it would be like to just sit back and say, "ok God, I have gotten myself into this situation and now I am asking You to lead, guide and direct my every word and action, because I don't know how to do it" and then let Him do it, really? Do you think God would do it? If you really meant it and allowed Him to, He would. Our problem is that we start out with good intentions of surrendering everything to Him and when we get into it and things aren't going the way we think they ought to, we snatch them back and start with our own ideas, words, actions, etc. This is where we mess up. This is our downfall, or least it is my downfall. I have very good intentions of surrendering everything to Him and right smack dab in the middle of what I just prayed for, I snatch it all back from Him and decide to do it "my way".



The other day, someone in our organization asked me for some information. Information that only I could give because it was personal to my position here on the field. I put the information in email form and sent it on to this person. Some of the information was regarding my position on the field and what I see as my duties here. Basically, I told the person what I see as my duties and then proceeded to tell them that I didn't think the home office had any intention of me doing some of these things that I desire to do (yet, previously I had been told face to face that I would be doing these things). The person responded with an email not too long after I sent mine saying "it seems that you have gotten back into your old thinking". WHAM!!! Wake up call ! Well, I got called on my stuff and I am grateful for it. This is how easily we slip back into our old ways. I didn't even realize that I was allowing satan to drive my thinking and I was not relying on the Lord for my guidance. We all need friends like this who will call us on our stuff and we need to be the kind of friend who will call others on their stuff. In Jude, starting in verse 20 it says, "But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgement". This is what my friend did for me, he rescued me from my old thinking. That is showing God's love. This person allowed God's love to flow through him and spill out into my life.

I believe that the last year has been an opportunity for me to have my slate cleaned, an opportunity to start over in many areas of my life. This is an opportunity that we don't often get in life. We can't go back and change things that we did in our lives as young parents or how we might have handled a misunderstanding with a friend from years ago, but we can start today with a clean slate. We have a clean slate with God every moment. He offers us grace and peace and forgiveness and asks us to allow Him to be our guide and at the moment that we allow Him in to do that, our slate is cleaned. Even if we allow Him in and then take it right back, He is willing to do it over and over again. That is how much He loves us. Have you ever had someone do something to wrong you? something that was hurtful or deceitful? I have and I think we probably all have. If they came to you and said, "I messed up and I am sorry, I need your forgiveness", would you forgive them, would you allow them back into your life? Probably the first time they did this you would, but after two or three times, you would quit allowing them back into your life. But God is not like that. We do things every day that hurt Him, things that are not right. We say and do things that are not Godly to ourselves and to others. This is hurtful to God, it breaks His heart to see and hear us do and say such things to ourselves and to others. However, God lets us continue to come back and is always willing to wipe the slate clean and start again. No matter how many times we take it back, we can always go back to Father God and say, okay I am ready for you to be the leader of my life, and He will.



Allowing Him to navigate and show me the way has been a "process" for me. It probably is for most people. It is a constant surrendering of whatever is going on in my life at any particular moment. Some days I can go most of the day and not snatch it back from Him, but most days, I have to surrender a million times over and over to Him. And you know what just amazes me so much, each time I surrender, my slate is clean. He starts fresh with me, loving me unconditionally, guiding me and directing me with no guilt or condemnation. He is beside me and faithful to complete the good work that He has started in me.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to Him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen! Jude vs. 24-25