It’s a sad question, but honestly, it’s a question too many women ask far too often.
“Have I made too many mistakes? Have I blown God’s perfect will for my life by making bad choices or disobeying God?”
Of course, what they are really asking is: “Do I still have hope? Can I still ask God to provide me with a good life, even after everything I’ve done?”
Whenever I hear this question I’m reminded of the quote by Lisa Bevere:
“If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this: You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.”
Theology 101: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
We are all sinners.
We are all broken. All of us---in one way or another---have sinned, made mistakes, and fallen short of the glorious will of God for our lives.
Here’s a beautiful truth: God isn’t shocked.
He isn’t sitting up in Heaven saying, “I can’t believe she did that! Not my whole plan is out the window! What will I ever do from here?”
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”
Psalm 103:14-15
It is because the Father knows that we all sin and we all make bad choices that He sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins. This is where we find hope:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
No matter what you have done, what choices you have made, or what sins you’ve committed you can still be forgiven.
Perhaps even more significant to our question, no matter what your past, you are still eligible for redemption and restoration.
We all know what restoration means right?
Think about it in “yard sale” terms. We take something that’s old, beat up and seemingly useless and we “restore” it to its original beauty. We give it back its value and make it able to be used for its original purpose again.
The hope that every woman who feels she has blown it, gone too far, or sinned too much has is the truth of restoration.
No matter what you’ve done, what sins you’ve committed, or even what consequences you are living with as a result of your sin and poor choices (because the sad thing about sin is that we always reap the consequences of our sins), God can forgive you and restore you and your life.
I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
Young women who made bad choices that ended in divorce, abuse, pain in their hearts, or a plethora of other bad consequences, came to the end of themselves and turned to Jesus. They repented and asked Jesus to change them and their lives. Although the process of restoring them took time and a lot of effort, their lives got better. As the Holy Spirit changed their hearts and they changed their lifestyles, they became new creations. Today they are living lives that they couldn’t have imagined 5, 10, 15 years ago.
The beauty of restoration.
Yet, if I’m honestly going to answer the question I have to be clear that the restoration process was by no means a magical, fairy tale, or speedy process.
The consequences of sin are not pretty---sin leaves scar on our hearts and minds, and creates new challenges for us in our lives. One of the reasons that so many women become frustrated and feel hopeless during the restoration process is because they feel like the healing process takes too long. While God is in the process of restoring them, they ask, “Is it hopeless? Did I blow it? Am I too far gone?”
Think of it this way:
Let’s say you took your car out for a drive on a snowy slippery road---not your best idea.
Now let’s say you drove too fast (disobeyed the law) and the car wrecked.
In most cases, the car is not damaged beyond repair---however, it will need to be fixed.
You’re not going to be able to drive the car until it spends time in the garage being repaired.
Truthfully:
Had you not made the bad decision that led to the wreck, you wouldn’t be waiting for the car to be repaired. HOWEVER (and this is a big however) The car isn’t ruined.
It can be fixed with the right attention and care.
The same is true for any woman who feels she has “wrecked” her life by sin or poor choices.
The good news is YOUR LIFE IS NOT BEYOND REPAIR.
The difficult news: You are going to have to spend some time in God’s repair shop before you can get back on the road He has for you.
You’re going to have to start by admitting and confessing your sins to God.
Then you need to change your direction. In short, do all you can to stop knowingly sinning and disobeying God.
Next, you will need to submit to God’s process of restoration.
You need to spend time with Him and in His Word. Depending on the severity of your issues and consequences you may need the help of a counselor or a coach. Because sin ultimately hurts your heart and mind, you will need to allow God to heal you as part of His restoration process.
The truth is that the exact path of the restoration process will be different for everyone, but there is one commonality:
Every woman I have ever known who experienced true healing and restoration in her life, had to make the decision to allow God to restore her.
They committed to doing whatever was necessary to experience true healing and get their life back on track. They didn’t quit when things got hard or it seemed like it was taking too long. They totally committed to the restoration process, and as God restored them as individuals eventually, their lives began to reflect the change.
The testimony of these women’s lives is not just reserved for a chosen few. No, the restoration power of Jesus is available to every woman who is willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work in her life, change her heart, and lead her on His paths.
Which leads us to a new question: Do you want to be restored?
Are you willing to allow God to do the work necessary in your heart, mind, and lifestyle to become the woman He originally designed you to be?
No woman is beyond the hope of restoration; no life is beyond repair.
You can have the life you always wanted---the question is, “Are you willing go through the healing and restoration necessary to get it?”
