The Word For Today

Our God is the God of new beginnings! The Bible says: 'Whoever brings a sinner back from the error of his ways will save him from death, and many sins will be forgiven' (James 5:20 GWT). It's never too late for a new beginning. And what's even more remarkable is that God uses people like us to help others find a new beginning.

The Bible contains many accounts of many who got a second chance and, by God's grace, used it well. Like Peter, who denied Jesus but went on to become a leader in the New Testament church. Or David, who committed adultery and murder, yet his psalms are a major part of one of the most quoted books in the Bible. And what about Jonah? He got a do-over! 'The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time' (Jonah 3:1 NKJV).

Sin can wreck hearts, homes, plans and people. But the good news of the gospel is that sin never keeps God from loving or reaching for us. And we should never stop loving and reaching for others. 'If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness' (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). The Greek word for restore is a medical term that means 'to set a broken bone'. When a doctor resets a broken bone, he realigns it and then puts it in a cast for about six weeks. During that time, God does the actual healing. Your job is to find broken people who need a second chance and help to restore them.

Who are you? A simple question that can be so challenging to answer. To know who you are and what you stand for, to be aware of how you're perceived by others and how you present yourself to the world, is one of the most important aspects of a well-lived life. This could be called your 'personal brand'. Your brand consists of attributes that are present for every encounter you have with work colleagues, family or friends. You could call them 'deliverables', virtues you bring to all your social and business interactions. You may take your deliverables for granted but consider writing down your own personal mission statement.

What is your purpose? What are you about? What is your vision? Does your life truly reflect what's important to you and how you want others to see you? So often, we live our lives based on what those around us think we should be or do. We follow the path we've seen others take or pursue what others define as success. As a result, we may find ourselves frustrated, angry or disappointed in life.

Have you heard this quote about business professionals who 'climbed to the top of the corporate ladder, only to find that it was leaning against the wrong building'? They were so busy keeping up with what they thought they were supposed to be doing that they never stopped to ask themselves what they actually wanted to do. Be like Paul: know who you are, honour your personal brand, and say, 'By the grace of God, I am what I am' (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV).

How many times must the apostle Paul, who was once known as Saul the persecutor of Christians, have had flashbacks to Stephen's stoning? Or the countless other Christians he hunted down like animals? Paul was an eyewitness, which means those snapshots were sealed into his visual cortex. When he closed his eyes, those images could have haunted him for the rest of his life. By today's standards, Saul was a terrorist - but he had an encounter with Jesus that blinded him. He regained his physical sight after three days, but the grace of God enabled him to turn a blind eye to his forgiven sin forever.

If God turns a blind eye to confessed sin, shouldn't we? This doesn't mean we deny our sin or ignore it. If we underestimate our sinfulness, we depreciate the grace of God. Paul called himself the chief of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). Perhaps that's why he appreciated the grace of God so much. The reason many of us label others by their sin is because it makes us feel better about ourselves. We think: 'I may not be perfect, but at least I haven't done that!'

But Paul was explicit: 'For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard' (Romans 3:23 NLT). God doesn't grade our sins like the legal system, as indictable or summary offences. No, we are either in sin or in Christ. We're either guilty or fully forgiven. Not only have our sins - past, present and future - been atoned for. At the point of believing faith, God forgives us and credits our accounts with the righteousness of Christ.

Country and gospel music star Randy Travis and his manager, Lib, remember the lean days of his career - all 3,650 of them. For ten years, Lib did whatever it took to keep her club open long enough for somebody to discover Travis' talent. For his part, Randy sang his heart out. And when he wasn't singing, he was frying catfish and washing dishes in the kitchen. Then it happened. His break came, and everything seemed to click for him. He had a hit called 'On the Other Hand', an album contract, a tour offer and a movie deal. He was hot! Suddenly, everyone seemed to be calling him an overnight success.

But Randy recalls it differently: 'We were turned down more than once by every record label in Nashville. But I'm the kind of one to believe that if you work at something long enough, and keep believing, sooner or later it will happen.' Randy Travis went on to become an American music legend, winning three Grammys and seven Dove Awards and being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But it didn't come easily or happen overnight. It happened because he worked hard, remained faithful through the tough times, and trusted God to come through for him.

Jesus said: 'Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them' (Mark 11:24 NKJV). And here's something you need to keep in mind: it will happen in God's time, and on his schedule. Your part is to keep walking by faith and trusting him to bring it to pass.

Why would fishermen wash nets that hadn't been used? The answer is they were quitting because of an overnight problem. 'We have fished all night and caught nothing' (see Luke 5:5). Their expectations had been destroyed. They believed that the way things were was the way they'd be. They were beaten! That's when Jesus showed up. He came to where they were; he walked right into the middle of their disappointment with a solution. First, he asked them for their boat and used it to preach to the crowd and heal the multitudes. Child of God, turn everything over to him - all you have, all you are and all you'll ever be - and let him use you for his highest purposes.

Next, Jesus gave the fishermen a word that only faith could receive: 'Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch' (Luke 5:4 NKJV). Can you see now why he has to wait until you've done everything you know to do? Only then are you ready to listen; even though his word doesn't seem to make sense, you're ready to obey without question.

Are you discouraged today? Is it your ministry, your marriage, your job or your health? You may be washing your nets, but it's not over. Who told you God wasn't going to bless you again? Who told you he wasn't going to bring victory out of your ashes? It's not over until he says it's over. If he can fill empty nets for those discouraged disciples, then you don't have a problem he can't take care of.

It's impossible to live successfully without taking risks. Leo Buscaglia wrote: 'To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement...To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk being called nave. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing...Only the person who risks is truly free.'

Franklin Roosevelt spent much of his life battling illness and was confined to a wheelchair. Yet he became one of America's greatest presidents. He said: 'It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.'

In The Pursuit of Excellence, Christian author Ted W. Engstrom gives this advice about the importance of trying: 'Starting today, you can begin to enjoy using and developing your gifts...If you've always wanted to write, then write something, a short article, a poem, an account of your vacation. Write it as if you were going to be published; then submit it somewhere. If you're a photographer, gather your best pictures together and submit them as entries in a contest. If you think you're a fair tennis player or golfer, enter some tournaments and see how you do. You may not win the top prize but think how much you'll learn and experience just by trying. The worst failure...is failure to try!'