By: Sabrina Peters
Adam and Eve could be the poster children for what NOT to do when you stuff up, but they’re not the only ones who’ve eaten a few apples of disobedience and missed the mark big time.
We all fall and we all fail, but what we do after falling short either sets us on a trajectory of grace and redemption, or guilt and shame.
When you blow it, don’t…
1. Cover
“When they realised they were naked they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves”. Our automatic response when we make a mistake is to hide our sin from God and others. That will never help you. Don’t cover, don’t conceal, don’t FAKE having it all together. Be honest. Be real with God. Trust me, he’s big enough to handle it.
Psalm 32:3 When I kept it all inside my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone—my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
2. Run
When Adam and Eve heard the sound of God walking in the garden, they ran away and hid from Him. So then God called to them and said, “Where are you?” Adam answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; so I hid.”
I’ve seen so many young people run away from God, run away from Church and even run away from me (because I remind them of both) when they did something wrong. Listen, sin destroys our lives, but God restores them. Run to Him, not away. Run into Church. It’s a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.
3. Hide
Stop hiding. God sees you, wherever you go.
Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
4. Blame
Genesis 3:11-12 So God replied back to them, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Own your behaviour. No one makes us do anything. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.
“I have found that as your wisdom and maturity develop, the number of other people you blame for your own circumstances shrinks.” – Dr Steve Maraboli.
So, my commission to you today is this:
Stop covering your mess ups
Stop running away in shame
Stop hiding your mistakes
Stop trying to shift the blame
Realize that God is grace personified. Be honest with Him. Admit your failings. Take ownership for your actions. Realize there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus and live free. Because it is here – in a place of complete honesty and openness with God – that you will truly experience His unfathomable mercy, His complete restoration and His empowerment to go and sin no more.
Article supplied with thanks to Sabrina Peters.
About the Author: Sabrina is a new generation speaker and author and former youth pastor of 9 years. Her passion is Jesus, relationships & sexuality.