“God specializes in giving people a fresh start.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 37). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

It starts with forgiveness. We ask Him for forgiveness for living our life by our self and messing it up and He forgives us and gives us a fresh start. That is also what He wants us to do.

He wants us to give those people around us who have messed up with us and maybe hurt us a fresh start when they ask us to forgive them. He will give us strength to forgive them. Now I know we don’t always want to do that. We don’t think that is fair. I mean they hurt me. They don’t deserve a fresh start, they deserve justice but that is also true of us. But God forgives us even though justice says He shouldn’t.

Our problem is we want a fresh start but we don’t want them to have one. We think we deserve it and they don’t but it doesn’t work that way. The truth is justice says it must go both ways.

Now the key is asking. We ask and He forgives. If we don’t humble ourselves and say we blew it and ask for forgiveness and a fresh start them He can’t forgive us. And the same is true of them. We can’t give them a fresh start if they don’t humble themselves and truly ask us for forgiveness in what they did to us. But if they do then it is up to us to forgive. That is the way it works.

How many marriages need a fresh start? How many relationships need a fresh start? How many lives need a fresh start? It starts with asking for and getting or giving forgiveness.

So do you need a fresh start?

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