Monday; February 10

          Most of us know that sin is bad.  That’s pretty much a given – but, there is another aspect of this situation that needs to be considered.  You see, since sin is pervasive in each one of our lives – Paul says, “... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ...” (Romans 3:23) – its presence isn’t the question.  The challenge is how do we deal with it when we do it?  Since we all sin, we’d better find a way to mitigate its consequences.  Here are some things we need to do to correct our wrongs:
1.  Seek forgiveness from God.  This can initially be done by entering into a relationship with Him, but even after we restore that relationship, we have an obligation to confess our sins.  When we do that God is faithful to forgive us.
2.  Seek reconciliation to others.  After restoring that relationship with God, we should do the same thing with those we harm.  Sometimes this is by asking for their forgiveness, other times is making amends to them for what we have done.  When we sin against someone, we must be willing to admit it and seek a restoration with them.  (It may not always be possible, but we have an obligation to attempt it.)
3.  Learn our lessons and move forward.  While we have a chance to move on from our sin, we had better learn from our failure and build upon it.  If we keep making the same error, are we really sorry for what we have done?  By growing in faith and action, we can truly move forward in our spiritual development.
          Is there a sin still haunting our lives?  If so, now is the time to make it right and move in the right direction.
          Think About It!

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