When I was younger, I used to love to play the original Atari. Remember it? One block shooting or hitting something at another block and once in awhile you’d score a point? I know... it’s old school. The games were fun but I quickly found out that I didn’t like to lose to my brothers. In fact, when the game looked like that might happen, I was always tempted to “accidentally” nudge the reset button and start the game again.
Sometimes starting over is exactly what we need to do. Look what God says in 1 John:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
God allows new beginnings... do overs... resets... He is full of grace, abounding in love, and generous in heart. He lets us start again with new knowledge of how not to do it.
But what does He ask of us? Look at the very first part of the verse today...
Confession.
Telling God what He already knows. So many don’t because they figure if they don’t tell their sin to God... the act remains hidden. It’s like the child who covers his eyes and tells the world “you can’t see me!” But of course we can. When a toddler does it... we smile at their naiveté. When we do it with our sins to God... we justify it as necessary.
And the sin sits in the heart and festers... it becomes guilt, which leads to resentment, which causes pain. Years of unnecessary pain. Today’s scripture reminds us of a way to mend... tell God. Not a friend. Not a Pastor. Not a journal. Tell God. It won’t be pleasant at first... we’re going to want to hide some stuff... and it may be tempting to change the story... but we must come clean.
Fully. Honestly. Completely.
And if we keep reading the verse... we find that God forgives us. Time and time again. God allows us a reset. Does this give us free reign to sin at will? Of course not. There are consequences to our choices. We shouldn’t intentionally break the heart of someone we are in relationship with... and God is no exception. If we know Him as Lord, we should do our best to honor and worship Him by avoiding sin as much as possible.
But when we confess what we’ve done...
To our Creator who knew we were going to be imperfect and made us anyway....
We are forgiven.
We are cleansed.
We are allowed a reset.
We haven’t earned it... but God willingly gives it. Is there something on your heart that is holding you back? An unconfessed sin? Something that has stained your conscience for years? A blemish that needs to be set right? Take some time today to confess it to God. He promises forgiveness to those who know Him as Lord.
Your reset awaits.
