What to do When Life is a Mess

Pastor Mike Novotny

Have you ever found yourself in a total mess? When your past choices have left you with present consequences that probably won’t change for the foreseeable future?

Maybe your body is broken down because, in part, you messed up. All those morning workouts skipped and desserts ordered caught up to you, leaving you with a sluggish heart that can’t be quickly fixed. Or maybe your connection to your parents, your siblings, or a coworker is strained, stripped down to the bare minimum of communication. You were so focused on your goals and your life that you forgot that real relationships require time and sacrifice. There’s no text you can send to instantly create closeness.

So what do you do when your sin has made a mess of things? You imitate Jeremiah. He wrote, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).  

Instead of fixating on his failures, Jeremiah forced his mind to think about God, his great love, his unfailing compassion, his great faithfulness. That’s what restored his hope.

Could you do the same thing today? Call to mind everything you know about God. His grace. His mercy. His patience. Meditate deeply on our Father’s heart, his Son’s sacrifice, and his Spirit’s presence. Your day can wait. Because that’s how you deal with the mess. That’s how you live with hope.

Devotional used by permission of Time of Grace®. For more information, visit www.timeofgrace.org