City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

6 At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said:

“O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. 7 Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. 8 Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the Lord. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the Lord your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.

9 “For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.” 

2 Chronicles 30:6-9 (NLT)

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start again, the faster I shall get on. There is nothing progressive about being pig headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.

C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity Chapter 5

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses and excerpt from Mere Christianity address the problem with progress–it takes time, determination, hard work, and not to mention a good dose of humility. 

We’ve all made mistakes–it’s just a fact of life. In the scenario described in 2nd Chronicles 30 above, the people were not doing what they were supposed to be doing and the plans for Passover got delayed. Even though it was not the prescribed time and they were previously going in the wrong direction, the king and the people who listened decided to do an about-turn. They started going in the right direction even though they messed up. 

That’s certainly not an easy step to take, but oh is it worth it! Some of the truly compelling attributes of God are His grace and loving kindness. No matter how badly you’ve blown it, you still have the opportunity to turn from your sin, humble yourself, and throw yourself at the mercy of God. 

What gets us in trouble, however, is our unwillingness to admit when we are in the wrong. We are deceived into thinking it’s somehow “easier” to keep going down the wrong path and it’ll somehow get better as we go. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even if you are seemingly going forward, you are only getting further and further away from God–and that’s a very scary place to be. 

And that’s usually where you have to make a decision. You can decide to keep going or you can decide to embrace the “problem” with progress. You can decide to go back and face your mistakes. It may not be easy or fit with your plans…but it is progress. 

Application

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a horrible situation and/or have you found yourself far from God? No matter your situation, it doesn’t have to be horrible if you turn to God in this moment. He is waiting for you with open arms. He won’t be stumped by your state of affairs, and He won’t turn you away. Quite the contrary, God draws near to us as we draw near to Him in humility (James 4:8). 

Examine your heart right now to determine if you have gone down the wrong path in any area of your life. Humble yourself before God in prayer and ask Him to point out anything that offends Him. Be willing to turn away from that attitude, mindset, or behavior, and turn to God for forgiveness and restoration. God thinks more of you than your worst mistake, so don’t let shame rule your life. Allow God to show you how much He loves you. Allow Him to redirect your path. 

Prayer

Father God, I want to thank You for putting me on the path to progress. It’s not always easy, but it’s so worth it! Let Your light shine in my life, so I will not stumble around in the darkness. You are the light that leads to life. I receive Your guidance today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.