I read of an interesting case in Rhode Island involving parking
rules. It seems that Sarah had
permission to park in her spot... but not between the hours of 8am and 10am. Problem is, she slipped quietly to a stop in
her parking place at 9:59 and 58 seconds.
The clock on her dash said it was already 10am... but the parking
enforcement watch disagreed and Sarah was fined for her discrepancy.
Two seconds.
To many (including the judge who threw out the case)... two
seconds is nothing. It’s close
enough. It’s almost. Problem is 9:59 and 58 seconds is not
10AM.
But it’s close.
Living together without a commitment isn’t marriage... but
it’s close.
Loving most of the people we come into contact with isn’t
what God asks... but it’s close.
Putting God second on our priority list isn’t what we’re
told to do... but it’s close.
Close to the bullseye isn’t the bullseye... and anything
outside of perfection is what the Bible calls sin. What we deserve as a result of that sin is far
worse than a parking fine. Let’s look at
that punishment as stated in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but
the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What we deserve for our imperfection is death.
But the scripture doesn’t stop there... it tells us that
because of Christ, we can achieve eternal life.
Live forever with Him. Get our
tickets torn up and our handcuffs taken off... free to live knowing that our
eternity is secure. It just takes a
decision. In fact, it’s the most
important decision you’ll ever make.
Have you been living a life that’s “close”? Are you thinking that you are too far gone
to be accepted by God? You aren’t. God hasn’t given up on you and never
will. He wants a relationship with you
more than you could ever know. You are
His child and you matter. And no matter
how many times you’ve missed the bullseye, there’s still hope and forgiveness
waiting for you on the other side of this most important choice. Are
you ready to ask Jesus into your life?
Tired of trying to do it all on your own and struggling? He’s ready to hear from your heart
today. How do we make God the Master, the Lord, the
CEO of our life? Three simple steps:
1) Admit that you make
mistakes
First, you must admit where you are with God. We can't make excuses or blame others and our
circumstances for our actions. "For all have sinned and fall short of the
Glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We
all sin and none of us can get to Heaven on our own.
2) Believe that
Christ died on the cross for you.
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for
the unjust, that He might bring us to God..." (I Peter 3:18). It was through Christ's sinless life and
willingness to sacrifice Himself on our behalf that we can spend eternity with
God.
The Apostle Paul said, "...the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for
me" (Galatians 2:20).
3) Commit your life
to God
The word "repent" means "to change your
direction. God commands us to repent.
You must be willing to turn away from the things that miss the mark with
God. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all
you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew
11:28). It is essential that you come to Jesus as you are... receive Him and
allow Him to do the "cleansing." Jesus said, "All that the
Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means
cast out" (John 6:37).
If you are ready to admit, believe, and commit your life to
Jesus Christ, say a prayer today right where you are like this one to Him.
"God, I know that I have missed the mark and that my
sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away
from my past mistakes and come to you. Please
forgive me. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was
resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayers. I invite Jesus to
become the Lord of my life, to rule in my heart, and to guide my steps. I give everything I understand about myself
to everything I understand about You.
Salvage me. Save me. Thank you God.... Amen.”
My sincerest hope is that you prayed that prayer today... or
shared it with someone who needed it. It’s
time to stop living “close” to what God wants and instead establish a
relationship with Him and allow Him to guide our steps. Blessings to you today and always.
