As the contest continues on, the contestants start losing energy and strength. The same old obstacle tackled time and time again will drain you, I am sure. Having to climb out of the pool (did I mention the freezing cold water?) can't help. And so they are showing signs of wear and tear until they can barely move from exhaustion and frustration.
Kind of like life, isn't it?
If you don't know God, that is.
We fail at life over and over again, sometimes on an hourly basis. We sin countless times a day. But God not only tells us to get back up and try again, He tells us not to worry about our slips. He forgives our sin. And better yet: He forgets about it, too! There is no record of past mistakes to weigh us down. No garbage pile that gets so high we won't even try to ever clean it up. Life can't wear us out as long as we have God cleaning our slate. We can tackle the obstacles over and over again and never have past failures drain us of our energy.
But (there always is a "but", isn't there?), by forgiving and forgetting our sin an unlimited number of times, God robs us of every excuse to not keep trying! Quitting is not an option simply because there is no reason to quit! And if the Wipe Out contestants can drag their wet and leery bones over an obstacle course for the measly reward of 50 grand, surely we can steer our refreshed and forgiven bones through another day lived for Christ - and for the ultimate reward of eternal life, no less!
Dear Lord,
Forgiving is hard for us to do. Forgetting is even harder! We can let past hurt cloud our lives for decades. You, on the other hand, make it disappear like vapor. Our sin is gone without a trace. You forgive and forget, and all You ask in return is that we plough on without looking back. Every day is a new day with You, Lord. I can't thank You enough for that!
Amen
