Oops!

Now I don't know about you, but there are probably more times than not that I find myself saying or thinking, ' Oops! ' You know what I mean, like when you pull out in front of someone and you say oops and hope they don't chase you for your mistake. Maybe there was an accident when you were doing a simple chore around the house. We all have those oops moments in our lives. A thought comes across your mind and you realize that is not something you should give any thought to, and in your mind it is oops. It happens to us all, and how we handle and learn from the oops moments in our lives can help us every day.

As I thought about this, I realized that I have had more times, though, when I wish it had been just a simple oops. More times than I want to remember, it was more like a desperate moaning of sadness and guilt in my heart. A realization that I had messed up.

It is difficult to go even a day without us having those oops moments, and more times than we want, those desperate moanings in our hearts. As I read scripture, I find those examples that would probably call for an oops. Also, those examples are for those moments of sadness and guilt.

You can think of Peter and even Thomas, I bet they wish they had only had oops moments. Their moments of doubt were costly. For Peter he would deny Christ 3 times that night. Thomas doubted to the point of denial of Christ being raised. Saying he would only believe if he could see and touch.

We are a lot like Peter and Thomas. We know we are going to not be the witness He wants us to be. We may not deny Him but we certainly don’t take advantage of the countless opportunities we have been given. We know He is working and moving, yet we are holding out for some kind of sign or something. Oops, we missed the opportunities given us to experience and be a part of what He is doing around us.

Listen, we all do and will have countless oops moments in our life time. We are a flawed creation which was never God’s plan but it was our choice to sin. Original sin put us in this condition. There is nothing we can do to change that reality. Yet, there are countless things we can do to change that affect in our lives.

God has given us a life to live. We are to live it to our ability but the ability we have is centered in His provision, His guidance, providence and for His glory. I remember that often in my life. That it’s about God being glorified in and through my life. As you can tell, I have my own oops moments and when I do, I regret that I have not been or done what would glory God.

In Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessalonica, he writes to them and in the first chapter he is encouraging them. He recognizes they have been through a lot, and that as you read you get the idea that there were maybe some oops moments. That was ok because what he says in verse 12 puts it into focus-

12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love that Paul recognizes and says that it is about God’s glory. We need to understand that in our lives it is not about anything else but God being glorified in our lives. We are to be living examples to others of His power and His glory.

You probably remember someone telling you that you may be the only Bible someone ever sees. Let them see Jesus in you and not just your oops.

In God’s Grace,

Elbert Nasworthy