Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Blessed Life #7: Second Chances

One individual said, “If you are lucky enough to get a second chance, don’t waste it.” The year will be starting anew this month for many individuals as they go back to school. For students this means that they can have a fresh start for overcoming bad grades or labels which they might have received from others, last school year. It is time for a fresh start, a second chance to make things right. Likewise, today can be a chance for all of us to have a second chance or a fresh start.
If all of us were honest, there have been points in life in which we wished that we could have a second chance. We wish that if we could go through what we did before; then, we would have never made the same mistake that we did. Maybe we think, “If only I had a second chance, I would not have said what I did.” Or “if only I had a second chance, I would have spent more time with my wife and kids, than working all those hours.”  Or “if only I could have told that certain someone that I loved them before they died.”
If you could do something over, what would it be? What are the second chances you are currently blessed with that you are taking for granted? You don’t have to experience a near death situation.
This reminds me of a person whom I know who is lucky to be alive. This individual suffered terribly in an automobile accident. He had broken bones and scars virtually from head to toe. He now has several rods and pins in his body, you might call him a heavy metal guy :). Truthfully, he should be dead today, yet God has given him a second chance at life.
Oh, I’m sure that there have been plenty of moments in which he wished that he had not survived the accident, yet why did he? Ultimately, that is a question which only God can answer. But the Bible does give us some clear clues of why—God gives second chances at life for two reasons.
First, God gives second chances so that we might get right with Him. In fact, this is the reason in which God allows a lot of things to happen in our lives—He wants us to wake up in order that we might take advantage of the opportunity which is before us—for none of us knows how much time we have left on this earth.
Scripture teaches that every person must come to repentance and into a saving relationship with His Son Jesus Christ in order to go to heaven when we die (2 Peter 3:9). God wants us to enjoy the Paradise which He has prepared for all who accept His offer. However, God’s second chances end when we die, “Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27).  Therefore, if you have been given a second chance at life don’t waste it!
A second reason why God gives us second chances is to fulfill His purpose for our lives. God has a wonderful plan for our lives which can enable us to live with no regrets. God’s desires for us are greater than we could imagine. He has a plan for our lives to leave a lasting legacy. Therefore, I want to encourage you to consider the second chances which are before you, and don’t waste them, for this might be your last chance!
In His service,

         Matt 

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