Friday, January 29, 2021

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23

I have a terrible sense of direction. Before smartphones and GPS were the norm, I would got lost a lot. Sometimes I’d make a wrong turn and recognize it right away. Other times I’d make a wrong turn and it would take a while for me to realize I had no clue where I was. Either way, I faced the same choice: turn around or keep going.

Obviously, I always chose to turn around. Why wouldn’t I? If I didn’t turn around I wouldn’t end up at the destination I had set out to reach. If taken to an extreme end, if I just kept going and didn’t stop, sooner or later I’d run out of gas, or money, or both, and I’d be in serious trouble. It’d just be foolish to keep heading the wrong way.

This verse from Romans is trying to highlight the destructive nature of sin. Sin when taken to its logical end never ends well. Think of something you’re struggling with right now. What do you see happening if you were to give yourself over to it? How would it affect your relationships? The way you think about others? The way you think about yourself?

Now ask yourself the same questions as you picture a life where you have turned from what you’re struggling with. The choice is obvious: it’s time to turn around.

God’s free gift of grace is waiting for each one of us every time we recognize that we have lost our way. May you feel God’s encouragement and trust in God’s forgiveness as you do the difficult work of heading back in the right direction.