We regularly make the wrong choices, some bigger than others. Some have a major impact on our lives and cause us to become entangled in sin. Many of us have at one time or another turned our backs on God. This is nothing strange. Even those people who made it into the Bible had done so: 3You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.

Actually, like Frank Sinatra, I want to say: That’s life! It is so ingrained in us to make the wrong choices and lose direction and, yes, the results aren’t so hot. There’s one way only and that’s the road to hell. That is what we deserve for all the wrong things we do. That is the prize at the end of the road of living wrong.

Fortunately, if you know God, you know that the story doesn’t end there.  4Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.

After all that we’ve done, God has made it possible for us to start again. Can you believe it? We actually deserve death, but God gave us a second chance. This reminds me of that curly wire game you find at a bazaar. You have to carefully move the ring around every turn in the wire without touching the wire. If you do make the ring touch the wire, you get a big fright, because a buzzer goes off right next to you and you’re finished.

God says, yes, you’ve touched the wire, you’re actually out of the game now, but I’ll give you another chance. You can make a new start. You can try again to take on the twists and turns of life. I give you another chance.

A friend of mine got stuck in the turns of life. It started at university already when he had a child outside of marriage. The marriage did not last long and more skew (twisted) relationships followed. For eight years he was caught up in drugs. So much so that he lost everything, even his business for which he had worked so hard.

And when he was so far off the way that he could no longer even recognise himself, my friend turned to God and said: Lord, I cannot go on. And in a way he personally experienced this verse 4: Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.

God came and saved my friend from all his wrong choices. He freed him from the worldly ties binding him and he got another chance to start fresh. A modern version of the prodigal son, I feel.

And that is the way our God is. He waits with open arms until we realise that we’ve gotten stuck in the wrong things and that we need to return to Him. He waits for us to turn our backs on sin and run to Him. God is ready to hold and hug us and give us another chance…

Scripture

Ephesians 2:1-10

Reflection

Where are you?

Do you need another chance?

God is ready. Do you believe it?

Prayer

Lord, how can one say thank you for another chance? How can one say thank you for hope and another chance to start again. Please help me to keep on going and to sidestep the pitfalls. Please help me to make the right choices. Please help me to get up every time. Amen