A Different Kind Of Resolution

Imagine you walked out your door into the world to begin your day only to notice that everyone around you had text bubbles over their head revealing the worst mistakes they had ever made. Your family and friends, coworkers, and strangers on the street were all revealing sins they never meant for anyone to know about and yet, they had no choice. The text bubble didn't lie. How would you react?

Your best friend with the pornography addiction. The family member that was a thief. That stranger walking around with murderer written in his bubble. Would it change your opinion about those you know and love if you saw their darkest secrets?

Now imagine your worst mistake. Imagine it too is written in a bubble for the world to see. Perhaps it's adulterer, or drug addict, or alcoholic; what would your text say about you?

You begin to get the stares, judgement and disappointment in loved ones' faces as your flaws are revealed. How would that make you feel?

We are often quick to judge others based on their worst days. We would NEVER do THAT!, we think to our self.

But the funny thing about our mistakes is that they really don't label us unless we let them. Its not the perfect past that God the Father is looking for, it's an humble heart that submits to His healing and perfecting.

And while someone else's mistake may be absolutely awful when it's completely exposed, in the eyes of God, so is mine.

That's right. We're all on an even playing field. Every mistake that I've made is revealed to the Father. Every mistake that you've made is revealed. And yet, He loves us still.

We may not really have text bubbles that reveal to others what we've done, but we should be open and honest with God and our self about the mistakes we've made.

And we should definitely be careful not to quickly label others based on something in their past.

Lets make a resolution for 2017. Lets stop pointing fingers and placing blame, throwing stones and labeling.

Lets learn how to forgive others and forgive our self. Lets start 2017 with the resolve that we will be in this fight together, as brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraging each other to continue to choose God's way.

You are not your past mistakes. You are not your past hurts or disappointments. Don't forget that. You are loved. You are redeemed. The only label you wear is Child of the King.