Not Too Far Gone

 So many people have made a mess of their lives. They gave into temptation and got trapped. Imprisoned in lives they could not imagine. Enslaved to the very sin that was supposed to enhance their lives. Sins that destroy them. Sins that take them further down the road of misery and shame. Misery and shame lead to severe bouts of depression. Sometimes it leads to incarceration. 

These people seem incapable of making good decisions to keep them on the straight and narrow. The lure of addiction and the snare of sin are irresistible. Even when they declare they are done with it all and turning over a new leaf they are powerless to stand firm and resist. Many times these people are surrounded by the kind of people who do the same things and drag them down into the worst degrading behaviors. 

They wake up with remorse. Many times they cry out to a God they are not even sure really exists. They have felt the sting of judgment from self righteous church goers. They have been ignored like they did not even exist. Not treated like a fellow human being. Labeled as hopeless causes that will never change. They are considered too far gone. Too deeply entrenched in destructive behaviors leading to more hardships and harsh consequences. 

Many of these people have grown hard hearted. They are hardened against other people. They seek to manipulate them and use them to advance their sinful habits. They have been hurt and wounded by the very people who were supposed to love and protect them. They are untrusting, cynical, and bitter. They have no self worth and are callused to what others think about them. They feel like trash and believe they are viewed by others as trash to be discarded. They float through life like a piece of driftwood washing ashore unnoticed and unwanted. 

These people have value in the eyes of God. Their intrinsic value comes from the truth that He made them. He designed them with purpose. He fashioned them with intelligent design. He grieves over the mess of their lives but stands ready to rescue. Nobody is too far gone. God can rescue and redeem any life He chooses. He can totally transform the prodigals and prostitutes. He can reclaim the addicts and the abused. He can save the slutty and the sleazy. He can deliver the delinquent and the deceiver. He can pull into His fold black sheep as well as the blemished. If you are reading this and your life is a mess you are not too far gone. If nothing else go to myspringcreek.org and click on the "How can we pray for you ?" tab for the first steps of help. Read John 3:16 and know He did that for you. Read Romans 5:8 and know He had you on His mind. Believe Romans 10:13 includes you. You are not too far gone.