Clean Up My Mess

Hey....you know we can be very hard on ourselves. We often think about all of the things we have said or done wrong. We think about our failures and past mistakes. We wreck our brains with the same questions. What if I did this differently? What if I chose this guy? What if I did not say this? Well maybe you don't, but I will admit, sometimes I do.

You might even replay the sin that may be currently happening in your life.  You might begin to feel bad and unworthy of moving forward in Christ. Always remember condemnation is from the enemy, conviction comes from God. When I am convicted, it inspires me to change, and I don't feel bad. I just feel as if God is speaking to me and leading me to change something.

When I am condemning myself, that is when the negative thoughts come in. I start thinking things like, well I can't join this ministry or talk to this person about this...because I am currently in this. I have even heard people say things like they don't feel ready to move forward with God because of some habit they have in their life that God might not approve of. Honey, honey, honey!!!! God will meet you right where you are. If we wait until everything is perfect in our lives, then we will be waiting forever.

Sometimes it starts with an intentional decision! It's not always about waiting around until we FEEL like doing something. If I relied on my feelings- nothing would get done. Honestly sis, I often FEEL like lounging all day, eating ice cream, and playing on my I-phone, but I make an intentional decision to get up, go to work, take care of my son, etc. Your feelings will catch up with your intentional decision eventually.

The funny part about it is, God is not even focused on all of our silly sins. Once we ask for sincere forgiveness, he has moved on! Yes honey! We are stuck like chuck, but God has moved on! Honestly, I think when we are all messed up, we are the perfect candidates for God to use. People can truly see the glory of God, when he heals or changes a person.

Jeremiah 18:6:  Oh Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in potter's hand, so are you in my hand (NLT).

See? God can mold us! Then he can get all the glory! We just have to rely on him.

A person with problems is real, relate-able, and relevant today. If you are too perfect, you need to exit stage left- immediately. Think about all the people God used in the bible. The Samaritan woman, the great Apostle Paul, Peter, Kind David- I mean the list goes on and on.

Philippians 1:6: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (NLT).

He is not just going to leave you right where you are! He will continue working on you until it is finished. That makes me feel good to know that he is not done with me yet. He isn't going to leave something halfway done like us humans tend to do. He is not just going to drop you like a bad habit. Completion!

People tend to see your mistakes, your past, your drama, and your faults, but God sees something different.
Everyone cannot see where God is taking you.   You cannot place your hope and trust in humans, including yourself. They are inconsistent and fickle. God sticks by you in your drama.


Now I don't know what is keeping you from moving forward or sharing your story, but he will get you right together, but in the meantime, you need to keep going to church, keep studying the word, and keep encouraging others. Maybe your past is full of sin. Maybe you did drugs or slept around. Maybe you have a sorry guy you deal with, honey, whatever it is- he can use you. Maybe your present is full of sin. Some of you are probably thinking that you don't have any of these problems, but maybe you are just a mean person. Maybe you are judgmental, or a gossip, or stuck-up. Either way, God invites you to come settle it with him. He is not looking at all of your past and current transgressions. You would be surprised at what happens when you come closer to him, some of that old mess begins to just fall off-in DRAMATIC ways. I just get so excited knowing that he cleans up messes.

                                                 

Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, let's settle this," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow." "Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool." (NLT)