IMO: You Don’t Have What it Takes - Friday
Luke 15:21
His son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” (NLT)
A woman in Chicago was pulled over, suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. When the officer walked up to her car, she reported to the police that she was just driving around trying to sober up. Naturally, she left the encounter in the back of a squad car. Unbelievable, right? Sometimes we put a lot of effort into coming up with lame excuses for inexcusable behavior. But there is a sense of true joy and freedom that comes along with owning our mistakes and authentically apologizing for them.
I’ve had to get really good at apologizing because I’ve missed the mark so many times, failing in the pursuit of who I truly want to be. And it’s not just failure to be who I want to be—I also miss the mark as I chase who God wants me to be. So I get plenty of practice with confession, admitting my blunders, apologizing for the ways I hurt God and others.
God gets it. He knows that when the pressure is on, we can get all flustered and panicky and do some really strange things, making odd or out-of-character choices. But He also knows that when the pressure is off, we start to live freely and lightly, and we can make clear-headed decisions that bring joy to ourselves, to God, and to others. One of those pressure-release valves He’s given us is confession—simply admitting and apologizing to clear the air. It’s a practice that restores and mends the brokenness of relationships, aligning us with truth so we can stop hiding behind all those terrible excuses.
In the meantime, we discover God’s forgiveness envelops anything and everything we’ve ever done… enabling us to experience His welcome and live in the security of our Father’s love while extending that love to others.
Friday’s Reflection
When we leave captivity behind and embrace the freedom that comes from owning and acknowledging the truth—even hard truth or the truth of our sinfulness—we discover the voice of condemnation is silenced. Anything you need to take to God today? Do it. Clear the air. And walk in the freedom that Jesus died to give us.
