With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching I was suddenly surprised with a reminder of just how much I have to be thankful for. It happened the day before yesterday as I spoke with a man who just lost his wife and two daughters. By “lost” I mean she and the children left, moved out of state to her parents home, because of his sins. He made no excuses, confessed his sins, and took full responsibility for the consequences.
Although he made a profession of faith and appeared to be deeply sorry for what he did, the damage was done. Although his sins have been forgiven the consequences continue. Although he is now part of God’s family, his family is broken. Hopefully over time God will heal the hurts and restore his marriage. Meanwhile the whole family suffers. I hope you will pray for them, but I also hope that we all can learn something from this sad story.
When we sin, we often do things we can’t undo. Avoiding sin is much better than trying to deal with its aftermath. Resisting temptation is far easier than trying to restore things after the damage is done. As I told the man, “When God saves us, He forgives us, accepts us into His family, and assures us of heaven, but He doesn’t remove the scars for our body, pay our gambling debts, etc.
I rejoiced that this young man trusted Christ as his Savior, but my heart was grieved to think about the pain he and his family are experiencing. However, I was blessed, and I am hopeful, because his story reminded me of mine. I know from experience what God can do. He can turn defeat into victory. Out of the ash-heap of sinful failure, God can bring forth beauty and blessings beyond what we can imagine. When we parted ways, I left with the prayer that God will do for him what He did for me.
I don’t know who might be reading this–you might have fallen or you might be the victim of someone else’s sin, but in the Lord there is hope for you! That hope, however, isn’t found in trying to bargain with God –” I will- – – if you – – -“. It’s one thing to say, Lord if you put my marriage back together I will serve you the rest of my life”, and another to say, “Lord, I love you, trust you, and will serve you the rest of my life–regardless of what happens”. The latter gives us the best chance for success. I don’t know for certain that this man’s marriage will be restored, or that your problem will be solved, but I do know this–you ought to serve God regardless of the cost, circumstances or consequences. Think about it!
