My phone showed that I had 6 text messages. The sender? My wife. Her shift began in ten minutes and her computer was infected with some type of virus which was preventing her from performing any tasks. I placed a call to her but the problem could not be solved over the phone so I hopped into my car and hurried home hoping to resolve the issue. Upon my arrival I discovered that Leah was right. Nothing was functioning properly on her laptop. Using my phone I googled (what did we do before Google?) the issue and within seconds I found that this virus had been experienced by many other users in the past few weeks. Luckily, I also found the solution. In order to get rid of the virus I had to perform a system restore. By definition a system restore “…allows for the rolling back of system files, registry keys, installed programs, etc., to a previous state in the event of malfunctioning or failure.” In other words, I could return the computer to an earlier point in its life when the virus did not exist on the computer. Ten minutes later, the virus was gone and the computer was back to normal.
Too bad life doesn’t have a system restore. When we fail, the clock cannot be turned back. Although past sins and wrongdoing cannot necessarily be erased, God has provided His own way for us to be restored. Restoration involves these three elements:
Own Up – When you’ve sinned don’t hide it, minimize it, blame-shift it, or ignore it. Acknowledge that you have sinned against God and broken His law (Proverbs 28:13). Ask for His forgiveness.
Get Down – Owning up to your sin should be followed by a broken and humble heart. If the sin involved another person, you have an obligation to make things right with them. Your worship of God will not be acceptable until you have sought forgiveness from the others involved (Matthew 5:23-24).
Move On – Confession of sin leads to cleansing. Since the past cannot be changed and you have sought forgiveness, move on (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2). Learn from your past sin and be careful not to repeat it.
