Have you disappointed God?

Let's say you really messed up. Your boss confided some information to you, then you gossiped about it...and he caught you!

Ouch.

"Is he going to fire me now? Will he ever be able to trust me again?" you'll wonder. "I've ruined everything."

You'll probably do everything now to regain his trust. Essentially, you'll try to butter him up as much as possible. Whether it's a homemade cake you bring, extra overtime you work, more tasks you take on. You'll do everything to make amends.

May I ask you a question?

Do you perhaps—deep down inside—feel like you've also messed up with God? Do you believe you've disappointed God? Has your sin separated you from Him? Is there a sense of distance, and you're trying, for example, through your regular church attendance and your good deeds, to earn some closeness to God again?

What should I say? Fortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

First, you should know, what you're not the only person on earth who makes mistakes: "..for everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23 NLT)

We’re not alone in this. We've all disappointed God.

Then the question is asked: "Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God?” (Romans 3:27 NLT)

Can you boast about the homemade cake you made? About your fifth church visit this week? "...No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith." (Romans 3:27 NLT)

"So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law." (Romans 3:28 NLT)

Wow. Wow. Wow. You don’t need to do anything to get God's attention. You already have it!

And if you truly trust that Jesus has paid the price for your sin once and for all, then you've done your part by believing and accepting this truth.

God is only disappointed when you let yourself be deceived.

So, pay attention to how you respond to failure. Will you try to make amends by your own actions? Or will you trust that Jesus' actions for you are enough?

You are a miracle!

Déborah