I lost my job the other day.

I've been thinking a lot about that lately.

It's kind of an odd turn of phrase..."lost my job". I mean, it's not like I put it down somewhere and can't find it. I didn't drop it like a contact lens and now can't see it. It didn't slip out of my hand. And yet, I lost it...or did I? I guess I could say that I'm pursuing other interests, or I'm exploring new opportunities. Perhaps I'm looking for a change in direction.

We people often have an odd turn of phrase when we don't want to say what we really mean. We want to put the best face on things. Sometimes that causes us to be somewhat less than frank when we describe what is going on. Maybe we're afraid to face the truth. If we make it sound nicer, maybe it won't feel so bad. It might even be a good thing...

Sin is like that for me too. I don't want to confront it. I want to avoid talking about it. If I put a nice spin on it, perhaps it won't be so bad. So I may talk about "admiring the scenery", I mean boys will be boys...right? Perhaps I "bent the truth" or had a "lead foot". It sounds so much nicer that way. I mean, who wants to admit to looking at a woman with lust in my heart? Lying is something that other people do, and speeding isn't really wrong...is it?

But the ugly truth is no matter what words I use, the sin remains. And it is sin. It hurts my loved ones; and it hurts me. More importantly, it separates me from God. Paul wrote in Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...". I can soften the words, or blunt the edges. I can try to deny the truth; even to myself. But it’s all the same in the end. I have sinned. I have fallen short of the mark. I've condemned muself. All of us have.

Fortunately, the truth doesn't end there. There is a way out. Jesus paid the price for me, and for you, on the cross. He took the punishment for our sin; and in His resurrection He paved the way for our journey to eternity. Sometimes though, the weight of our sin still wants to hold us down despite the victory we have in Him. But you know what, He provides something for us there too. 1 John 1:9 tells us that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." All we have to do is be honest with Him and He will forgive us AND wipe the slate clean. We get to start all over again.

I was fired from my job the other day. But it’s OK; I get to start over again…