Sin Messed Everything Up

I remember the day distinctly—it was my freshmen year at the University of Illinois. It was a beautiful fall morning with my first-floor dorm room looking out into a courtyard. I felt young, confident, and beautiful. But most of all, I felt free from my parents’ grip over my life. As the oldest of six kids, I’ve always felt the pressure of doing everything right. I was sheltered and protected from boys and parties. Yet, that didn’t mean I didn’t want to—I just couldn’t until I escaped home.

As much as I loved God and knew of His grace and mercy—I decided to put Him on the shelf. In my mind, I only intended to experience a little bit of the world. I never intended to go far away from what I knew of God’s presence over my life. I believed the lie—that I could just go from point A to B and be alright. Truth, was I found myself at point Z even before the end of my first semester.

It didn’t take long for me to find out the callousness and ugliness of living a sinful life. At my darkest moment, I didn’t want to keep living. It was crazy...how in the world did I get there? By the grace of God, He redirected my attention and thoughts so I kept pushing myself through the tests and trails of college life.

Fast forward over forty years later, I’m solid in my faith walk after many joys and stumbles. My sins of the past still have lingering consequences that I can’t undo. However, my past sins don’t define me or my relationship with God. You see, God redeems those who turn to Him when their sin messes up everything.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they were cast away from God’s intimate presence, and out of the Garden of Eden. The ground became cursed, Adam had to work it, and Eve would have pain in childbirth. Worst of all, death was introduced to the world of man and nature—"dog eats dog" was born.

However, God had a plan…this plan would involve His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to take the penalty for all our sin so that none of us would have to die in our sin. In fact, His plan includes joy and peace in this present world despite our past sins. God always makes a way for those who turn to Him with all their messiness and brings our lives into reconciliation with Him.

Whatever mistakes or sin you have committed won’t separate you from God’s love. He’s waiting for each of us to come like a child covered in mud with a bloody skinned knee. The loving and good Father doesn’t push us away. Instead, He sees us coming from afar and pulls us close with all our musty sinful nastiness.

God feels compassion and says, “For this my son or daughter was dead, and is alive again; he or she was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:24) Go back to the Father, be forgiven of your sins, and be set free to live out His purposes and plans for your life. Our sin causes delay and consequences, but through Jesus Christ—He brings restoration to our ruined spaces.