NO UNDO BUTTON

                I am not a big video game person. I dabble in them from time to time, but they are not a regular part of my life. The exception would be what are called casual games. These are games like solitaire that you can play on your phone. They are relatively simple and can be played in a short amount of time. Although, beware. They can consume quite a bit of time if you are not careful. One of the features in these casual games is the undo button. It allows you to undo the last move that you have made. It comes in handy when you realize that you have just made a fatal mistake.

                I have often thought it would be amazing if there was an undo button in life. All of us, from time to time, make choices that we wish we could undo. In a rash or unthinking moment, we choose a course of action and then realize that it was a mistake. Unfortunately, there is no going back. Once the choice has been made, once the action has been taken, it is too late. We must live with the consequences.

                In our Tuesday morning Bible Study, we have been working our way through the book of Ecclesiastes. This morning we were in chapter 10, which is a contrast between being wise and being foolish. The foolish person rushes ahead in life without much thought about the outcome. Consequently, they find themselves in negative situations. Solomon gives a rather graphic example to make his point in verse 18. “If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.”

 On the other hand, the person who is wise considers the outcomes before he or she acts.

                The book of Proverbs is filled with vivid comparisons between the wise person and the fool. Here are just a few examples.

Proverbs 10:8

    The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

Proverbs 10:14

    Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Proverbs 12:15

    The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

                The Apostle Paul challenges us to pay attention to the way that we maneuver through life. Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

                It would be great if we always chose wisdom over foolishness. Our lives would be richer, happier, and more fulfilling. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Even the wisest of us make foolish choices from time to time.  It is at those times that we wish there was an undo button for life. Alas, it is not to be. We cannot go back and change the past. But that does not mean that all is lost. God has offered us, not an undo button, but a fresh start option. It is found in 1 John 1:8-9.

    If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

                The truly wise person is not the one who never makes a foolish choice. The truly wise person is the one who recognizes what he has done and takes ownership of it. Instead of denying or ignoring the reality, he accepts it and brings his failure to God. In doing so, God promises not only to forgive, but to restore and redeem. The real beauty of this promise is that it is not a limited time offer. There is no expiration date and no limit on the number of times that a person can use it. It is always available.

                Jesus expressed this in a conversation with His disciples, recorded in Matthew 18:21-22.  

    Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

    Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

                In this exchange, Jesus is not only challenging His disciples to forgive others. He is expressing the extent to which God will go to forgive us. God’s forgiveness goes beyond anything we can imagine. This does not give us the right to be foolish, but it assures us that when we are God will be there to restore us.

                When playing video games, the better a person gets at them the less they need the undo button. In the same way, the more that we grow in our faith and our commitment to Christ, the less we will need His refresh button.

Proverbs 3:13-14

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,

the man who gains understanding,

for she is more profitable than silver

 and yields better returns than gold.