Monday morning delivers the solitude my soul craves the moment everyone is out the door. Peace and quiet are interrupted by the chaos that was the weekend. Everywhere I look there are leftover reminders of projects, fun and chores half-done. As I walk around and tidy up, I can’t help but notice an eraser left on the couch, the one “for BIG mistakes.”
My mind unearths BIG mistakes and longs for such a simple solution.
If you had a BIG eraser, which mistake would you wipe out with just a few strokes of pink rubber?
What if it were that easy to erase our biggest mistakes?
Good news, my friend! We can find freedom and forgiveness in the arms of Jesus. He died on the cross to save us from our sin and worst mistakes. The Bible says, “So far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
I think I was 9 years old when I heard this verse for the first time. My dad called us together for a time of devotion, which meant he read the Bible and we tried to stay awake. But then he read those words. Even my adolescent self recognized the power in this promising pronouncement.
East and west never meet. Infinite distance. So too is our sin from the mind of God when we seek forgiveness through Jesus.
Why then do we keep our mistakes front and center, stoking feelings of regret, shame and guilt?
Imagine you are sitting across from someone you have deeply wounded with your choices and actions. As you sit and chat, you are uneasy, distracted, consumed by guilt and shame. All the while, the injured party looks at you with love and compassion, taking note of your best qualities and limitless potential.
This is God’s response to His children. He chooses to toss our mistakes in to the sea and focus on the future He has planned.
The enemy of our soul memorializes past mistakes and works overtime insuring we never forget.
Jesus has erased our sins, set us free and we are free indeed. (John 8:36) We are no longer slaves to sin and past mistakes.
Anyone with eraser experience knows the process isn’t perfect and fails to remove the mistake completely. Even the highest quality eraser leaves evidence behind, even if only visible by the author. Similarly, our sin and mistakes often leave scars, both visible and invisible. Scars that remind us of what has been forgiven, redeemed, healed and erased by the blood of Jesus.