Get Out of Jail Free
This past weekend, over 270 women from Highpoint Church gathered for Getaway 2017. I’m incredibly grateful for the team of women who God used to coordinate every detail and to pray over every aspect of our time together.But what about all the women who weren't able to come?The facility and conference center we used was fantastic. My hope, however, is that the next time around we’ll have to find a bigger place so 500 or 600 women can come and experience what God desires for them.In the meantime, I’d like to share one of the themes from our weekend. A few months ago, I was in Deuteronomy in my priority time. I came across the account of Moses going back up the mountain for a second time for God to give him a second set of the Ten Commandments.If you've been in church for any length of time, you've probably heard of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. You might even remember that while God and Moses were on the top of the mountain, the disobedient Israelites were making the golden calf with Aaron at the bottom of the mountain. Moses came back down where he does physically what the Israelites had already done spiritually: he shatters the Ten Commandments.But that’s only the middle of the story. Deuteronomy 10 reveals just how much mercy our God has for us as He later calls Moses back up that same mountain for a do-over. What amazed me was that, when God called Moses back up to receive a second set of the Ten Commandments, he didn’t spare one detail.It would be as if you walked down the aisle, said “I do,” walked out the chapel, and committed adultery before you even got to your honeymoon. Can you imagine if your husband came to you and said, “I still love you. I forgive you. And I want to show you that love by starting over. Let's have another ceremony to celebrate and spare no detail.”Not suggesting you both simply head to the justice of the peace.Not skipping the cake or the flowers… or even the gown.No, he wants you to feel just as beautiful and just as worthy the second time around.Do you understand that our God is a God of 2nd, 3rd, and even 70×7 chances?[bctt tweet="God is a God of 2nd, 3rd, and even 70×7 chances."]That’s who our God is. The only thing that holds us back is accepting the second chance that He offers. If there’s unconfessed sin in your life, no matter how big or small, confess it. Once you have, don’t allow the enemy to keep beating you up. Instead, grasp that a 2nd, 3rd or 103rd chance has been extended to you with no condemnation… and accept it.It isn’t our place to judge ourselves. That place belongs to God. So, if you’ve been beating yourself up and unwilling to forgive yourself, guess what? You don’t have to… that’s God’s job, not yours. Your job is to humble yourself and accept His forgiveness. He offers the “get out of jail free" card that has imprisoned many of us with guilt and shame. Will you accept it?Do you know anyone beating themselves up for their past? Would you pass this along?May we all be women living in the freedom God mercifully offers.[bctt tweet="It's time to accept God's get-out-of-jail-free card."]