CONFESSION AND RESTORATION

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

As a Pastor I deal with "failures" a lot.

Moral failures.

Recovery failures.

Mind and heart failures.

Choice failures.

Oh and don’t think I am talking about the addicted folks and their families or the others I help or counsel each day.  No!

I am talking about ME today.

This whole "Pastor-badge" thing doesn’t keep me from spitting the bit certain days or succumbing to some less than “Pastory” choices or behaviors.

My anger at times is uncontrolled.

My leering at times uninhibited.

My thoughts at times less than “Christ-centered.”

I used to get nervous about admitting that sort of thing for it was not what “Christians did”. But a very wise young man confirmed to me recently that “confession is a great equalizer and cleanser”.  And for me these days confession keeps me grounded, humble and fixed on GOD as He resets my mind in heart. 

Not to mention confession also helps me heal.

James 5:16 (V)

So own up to your sins to one another and pray for one another. So in the end, you may be healed.

But the truth is failure is one of the most feared and dreaded experiences in life. We can “feel” failure in a lot of ways; not meeting expectations, having an old sin resurface and trip us up, or having a relationship crater. Many if not all of us have experienced it.

It is how we respond that makes the difference.

And the answer and response to those momentary failures is to confess it and then seek “restoration”! 

And where do we find that?

It is simple.

GOD. 

He is in the restoration business.

Psalm 23:3 (V)

He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.

What David is telling us here is that restoration is available. Our job is to get OFF that wrong path and come back to the SPIRIT-LED path of RIGHTEOUSNESS...

Joel 2:13 (MSG)

Come back to God, your God. And here’s why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe...

...and then return to walking and living on that path!

Galatians 5:16-18

...Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit…?

So the lesson for both of us today is simple.  

We will fail.  It is our nature.  

But our SHEPHERD is GOOD. Our SHEPHERD is gracious.

And when we stop feeding the selfishness, confess the failures, listen to His direction and take HIS leading HE will restore us to the SPIRIT FILLED path where righteousness echoes HIS NAME.

“Better to admit where you're not and ask God's help to get you where you need to be.” – Beth Moore

 

LOVE you all!

Freedom Church