The God of Do-Overs Some people need a do-over from God because guilt has been squeezing the hope out of their lives. That was the case with a woman who wrote to me about the turbulence in her life. She explained that several years ago she had been living with her boyfriend when she got pregnant. Even though she wanted the baby very much, her controlling and domineering boyfriend talked her into having an abortion. Later he abandoned her. "For years, I was miserable," the woman wrote. "I was ashamed of myself for not being strong enough to stand up for myself or for my baby." That's what guilt does. It tries to convince us that our wrongdoing disqualifies us from ever starting over. Guilt robs us of hope. It tells us we're not just people who have failed, but that we're failures as people and therefore beyond redemption. A stifling sense of remorse haunted this young woman until she didn't know where to tum. Finally, in desperation, she turned to Jesus Christ and implored Him for a do-over. And what happened amazed her—He not only forgave her and wiped her slate clean, but He helped her through the process of healing her emotions as well. Now that God has renewed her sense of hope, it's like the darkness has lifted and a new day has dawned. Just before she was baptized as a new follower of Jesus, she wrote: "I can't thank God enough for all the grace I have received from Him." I had the privilege of baptizing her in front of a crowd of several thousand people. By her participation in that sacrament, she was declaring to the world that this God who gave her a new beginning is the God she wants to follow forever. And if your own life is weighted down with guilt—shame over a marriage that went bad, or kids who've gone astray, or promises to God that you've broken—then maybe it's time for you to ask Jesus Christ for a do-over. The question isn't, "Will He give me one?" The issue isn't, "Does the magnitude of my wrongdoing make me ineligible?" The extent of your foul-ups has never been an impediment. Romans 5:20 says, "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." Jesus Christ has publicly declared Himself ready, willing, and able to grant you a do-over; the real issue is whether you have the humility to ask Him for one. | 
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