I just keep waiting, and waiting and waiting… and while I wait, others get clean but I stay dirty… And I wait, and I wait…
The discouragement and frustration were pouring out from, not some 1st century leper or 21st century refugee, but from the mouth of our own son. Not much time has passed since he acted out on an impulse and did something he quickly recognized as wrong. But now he was stuck in that dis-empowering guilt-laden place between ‘knowing’ the right thing and actually ‘doing’ it. I decided to step in.
How long do you think you need to wait? I asked gently. One hour? Two hours? A day? Two? Three? A week? Longer than that?
He shrugged his shoulders helplessly, More like eternity, etched out all over his face
The look of his despair reminded me of all the times I have banished myself to self-imposed punishment and isolation in a futile attempt to atone for my sin.
Hon, you don’t need to do this. Do you realize you don’t need to wait? Not one second! Forgiveness and cleaning are yours for the taking – right here, right now? It’s already paid for – in full.
He looked up, not quite sure whether to believe what I was saying. It sounded too good to be true. I chuckled.
If you don’t believe what I am telling you, believe what is written… Let’s see what it says. We picked up their Bible and his sister started reading:
If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and the truth is not in our hearts. If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and clean us from all evil.
If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and clean us from all evil. The amazing truth of these words washed over me afresh. If this is not the gospel, it’s even better! I thought to myself.
So, what does it say, how long do we need to wait before He can forgive and clean us?
It doesn’t say anything… we don’t need to wait…?
No, we don’t need to wait, hon. He is right here, right now, to forgive and clean us.
