Clean Slate

Has there ever been a time in your life when you may have wish you could do something over again? Or get a fresh start or a clean slate because of a mistake or mistakes you made in the past? What an incredible opportunity that would be.We probably all have wished at some point that we could have a "do-over," or a second chance because we blew it the first time? (I've said it many times myself.) 

Maybe it was regarding a relationship, or raising children, or perhaps some building project or investment that didn't turn out the way we had hoped or expected. However, most of us have learned that those kinds of opportunities don't usually happen—except maybe in the movies. Hindsight is always better, especially after the facts are revealed, but it doesn't change the consequences that follow. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes, never to repeat them again.

Even with the abundance of information available to us today, it seems that most people still don't learn well. There are many history books available, many examples around us (often seen on the news), and we still often make the same mistakes as others. For some reason many of us just don't think it will happen to us, or maybe we think the outcome will be different for us. (This applies to many people who started to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, use drugs, or other harmful activities.) How often we have thought (after the damage is done) that I should have known better or I should have paid attention to others' warnings?

Then there is the pain—the guilt and the shame that seems to haunt many people afterwards. Many people think, if I could just be given another chance, it would be wonderful and different this time.

As unbelievable as it may seem, there is an opportunity where we do get a second chance and the slate is wiped clean of all past mistakes. It's true! It happened to me when I invited Jesus Christ into my heart, and asked Him to forgive my sins. Christ came in and made all things new. That can and will happen for anyone and everyone, INCLUDING YOU, regardless of what you've done.

The following scriptures give us a glimpse of God's great love and mercy:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever would believe in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NASB)

"I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

" Therefore if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, everything old is passed away; behold, I make all things new." (2 Cor. 5:7, also read Colossians 1:21 & 22)

"I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs." (Heb. 8:12)

"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36 NASB)

That's the good news of the Gospel. Jesus wants to restore our relationship with the Heavenly Father by giving us a new life IN Christ. God is allowing everyone to start over again with a clean slate. The cross of Jesus put to death everything in our past and has completely set us free. He has forgiven all our sins (past, present and future). All we must do is believe and receive His forgiveness. Jesus' death and resurrection demonstrates and proclaims a new beginning for each one of us, even when our circumstances appear the same. (Those things will change in time as we yield them to His will and continue to obey Him.)

Now instead of trying to please our self, we should do the things God desires. Our hearts are filled with love and gratitude for Him, because of what he did for us. We will never attain true happiness by trying to set goals and striving to accomplish them. Happiness can only be found in following Jesus' example, and in being led by his spirit. When we walk by faith with Jesus, living life becomes a new experience, and the things of the past become less significant. Once we have seen the Lord and have learned to focus our eyes and attention on him, and have learned to hear his voice, he becomes the center stage of our lives. But when we mistakenly change our focus to the problems and/or troubles of life, our emotions can be overtaken by them and we start making even more mistakes. Instead, we simply need to trust Christ (Pro. 3:5,6) because of His awesome love. Jesus desires to give us a clean slate, a fresh start, and an invitation to a "new" beginning.

When the time is right, we will even thank God for the bad times and our mistakes, because we will have learned more about his amazing grace. And we in turn will be able to forgive others, just as Jesus forgave us from the cross, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

If you would like a clean slate and a new beginning, you can start by inviting Jesus into your heart. You can do that right now if you want, just by saying this simple prayer from your heart:

Lord Jesus... I need you. I believe you hear me and know my heart. Help me to serve you with all my heart. Forgive me of all my sins (selfish actions and thoughts). Come into my heart and make me new. Show me your ways and I will obey. Restore my broken spirit, soul and body; and make me one with you. Thank you for dying on the cross for me, amen.

You can say more if you would like. He loves to hear from you, so feel free to talk with him as often as you would like.