40 Days to Lasting Change Day 23
It Is a Big Deal
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins
is a slave to sin.” John 8:34
God’s offer of compassion and grace is still wide open to us. It’s the whole point of the story of the Prodigal Son. He waits with open arms for us to awaken, get honest, and take action to return to Him. Being honest about our sin means we stop minimizing and instead recognize that whatever took us to the Distant Country is a big deal, after all. Thankfully, our heavenly Father’s love and forgiveness are a much bigger deal. (Idleman, Kyle. 40 Days to Lasting Change: An AHA Challenge (p. 153). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.)
This issue that took us off the farm and dumped us in the pigsty of life is a big, big deal. We can’t afford to sweep it under the rug any longer. These tricks we use to try and outrun our problems such as denial, projection, and minimization tie us down in the pigsty; they don’t liberate from this pigsty picture of pain. This is a big deal, but so is God’s message of love and forgiveness. Instead of trying to live with emotional, mental, and even physical pain, it’s time to live over it. But that’s going to require getting real with what we might consider being a little deal that has become a big deal in our lives. And, by the way, God’s love and forgiveness is NOT a little deal either. His love and forgiveness are a big deal. His love and forgiveness will help and heal anyone who is willing to get real about the deal in their lives that is keeping them from the love and life of God.
From the Kitchen Table 