A New Start

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A New Start

by Brian Johnson

2022. A new year and a new start. The new year always brings a time of reflection and evaluation. We think about our regrets, the things we want to change, and the new person we want to be. The great thing about our relationship with God is that we can make those changes anytime.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” What I love about that verse is God knows we’re going to mess up. Even a just person is going to fall. “He remembereth that we are dust,” (Psalms 103:14). The problem isn’t the falling; the problem is when we stay down.

I’m a big sports fan. My favorites are football and baseball. In football, there’s a position called defensive back. These players usually defend receivers one on one or, if you’re sports challenged, they try to stop other players from catching the ball when the quarterback throws it to them. Sometimes defensive backs will give up a big play. It’s part of playing that position. It’s going to happen from time to time but if they dwell on the mistake, it will affect the next play.

When we mess up as Christians and stay down, it prevents God from being able to use us as affectively in the next situation or for the next person we meet that needs to hear the Gospel.

Don’t listen to the lies of Satan: you’re not good enough, God won’t forgive you, you could never come back from what you’ve done. Remember what Jesus said about the Devil, “…there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Listen to the truth of God: you’re forgiven, you’re loved, if you’re saved, you’re still His child and, according to Titus 1:2, God cannot lie.

There’s a well-known story about a woman that was caught in the act of adultery. There were several men standing ready to stone her. Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone of her” (John 8:7). After all of the men dropped their stones, Jesus told her to “go, and sin no more.”

David committed murder and adultery and he was called a man after God’s own heart. He’s also mentioned in Christ’s genealogy in Matthew and Luke.

Paul, when he was Saul, persecuted and jailed Christians. He presided over the stoning of Stephen, and God made him the apostle to the Gentiles. He wrote a large portion of the New Testament and took the Gospel to Europe. There are many examples!

There’s nothing wrong with evaluations and resolutions. Just know, as long as you’re still breathing, God can, will, and wants to use you, no matter what you’ve done. Get up, move forward. God’s not taking you out of the game. Don’t take yourself out.

About The Author Brian Edward Johnson is a deacon at his church and a nurse by vocation. He wants to do the best he can to teach people to trust God, for their eternity and for each day.

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Policies issued by COUNTRY Life Insurance Company® and COUNTRY Investors Life Assurance Company®, Bloomington, IL. 0519-503HC-15939-12/1/2020This piece has been reproduced with the permission of Life Happens, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers make smart insurance decisions to safeguard their families’ financial futures. Life Happens does not endorse any insurance company, product or advisor. © Life Happens 2018. All rights reserved. 0519-503HC-15939-12/1/2020

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