There is no doubt that we can sometimes feel wretched – if only we hadn’t done that thing, had that thought or said those words. It can be tough to reconcile how you’d prefer to behave with what you find yourself being tempted to do, as if there’s an inner battle. When we slip up, that’s when regret, guilt and inner condemnation pour in and wretchedness ensues as we hang our heads in shame. Those are harrowing times when we feel ugly and alienated, not just as if we were ‘bottom of the class’ but as if we have been expelled. Some are caught and there follows a public humiliation that all dread, whether it be for the politician or film star whose wrong-doing is dragged through the press or for the relatively unknown who has to face embarrassment with others knowing of their wrong-doing and probably a loss of respectability. At such a time as that, a person is vulnerable to dark thoughts and desperate actions.
- Life is too short to spend hoping that the perfectly arched eyebrow or hottest new lip shade will mask an ugly heart’ – Kevyn Aucoin
- ‘Many a sin has sullied me in body and in soul because I did not restrain my thoughts nor guard my lips: nevertheless it is to Thee, O God of majesty and love, that I turn in my extremity, for Thou art the fount of mercy; to Thee, as quickly as I may, I speed: for Thou alone canst heal me; I take refuge under Thy protection’ – Saint Ambrose
The Apostle Paul knew all about that struggle as he wrote so honestly and powerfully about it in his letter to the Romans, chapter 7. This man who went on to carry the good news of Christ and to plant churches had described himself as both ‘wretched’ and the ‘chief of sinners’. If God was able to help him, then he can help anyone, no matter what. The way forward is honesty with God about your situation and to ask his help. When that happens, a fresh start is given and a new day can begin, for nobody can separate you from the love of God. That ‘sin’, wrong-doing and wretchedness has to be dealt with – here’s the reminder of how this happens:
- THE COST – ‘Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins’ – Hebrews 9:22
- THE CONSEQUENCE – ‘When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done’ – Romans 3:23
- THE ANSWER – ‘Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ – Romans 5:7 – 8
- A GREAT LOVE – ‘Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends’ – John 15:13
- A GREAT PRICE – ‘Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God. There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet’ – Hebrews 10:12-13
- NO CONDEMNATION – ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God’ – John 3:16-18
- NO SEPARATION – ‘If God is for us, who can be against us? Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all! He gave us his Son—will he not also freely give us all things? Who will accuse God’s chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ?’ – Romans 8:31-35
Imagine that someone was able to read your mind and see all the wrong things you’ve said and done just in the past month never mind throughout your life! Even worse, imagine that they sent that to all your email address list and mobile contacts, or perhaps threatened to do so. Such an action or the threat of it is what someone wanting to bring you down, shame or impoverish you would do. When you think of the encouragement you get from God by contrast, take heart – he has acted on your behalf whilst you were ‘still lost’ in the ugliness of sin. Whether you are well known or live a relatively low key life, if you are feeling wretched about something then take God at his word and receive the gift of a new start through the powerful work of Christ Jesus, ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’.
- ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me. What my Father has given me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father’s care’ – John 10:27-29
Do you recognise or have you known his voice? Take time out to listen – he can deal with the ugliness of sin as no one else can. As you do so, a time of wretchedness will pass and be replaced by one of bounding happiness that only forgiveness can bring. This is something that everybody needs even if they look respectable from the outside. The Bible and Church History are full of examples of people given second chances who came good from the first disciples to Saint Augustine, to ‘saint’ Jonathan Aitken and many others more recently known to God – this can be us too.
Anchored or Adrift? (connect4life.org.uk)
TAGS – suicide, depression, fear, restoration