Day 2:: A Fresh Start

*This is a series of 31 Days to Focus. To view my first post, click here.*


I love the movie Anne of Green Gables.



Every time I watch a certain scene with Anne and Ms. Stacey, it just makes me want to take a deep breath. It's this beautiful moment when Ms. Stacey is talking to trouble-prone Anne as they walk along a peaceful, wooded path, full of spring light:

"Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it."

That's true.

But what if you've already screamed and procrastinated and practiced it's-all-about-me-and-there-is-no-other by 8:27 a.m.? When you need a "fresh with no mistakes in it" and tomorrow is too far away?

Vision can become pitifully nearsighted within a few blinks of my sin-exhausted eyes.

Jesus said straight out that the blessing of seeing God belongs to the pure of heart. 

And He says to be pure I've got to live according to His word. 

How His words promises we can regain vision, purity, a fresh start:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
~1 John 1:9

Confession. To the One Who already knows.

I know I am far from sinless. 

And there is no sliding scale for sin. Every offense requires the amazing grace of the cross. 

And this strong warning that is on both sides of this promise about confession sobers me. Read this out loud with me:

1 John 1:8
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

And then...

"If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
~1 John 1:10

 Please don't turn away now if you feel some fear in your heart! I do. Not all fear is unhealthy. There is one kind that is literally life and soul saving.

The fear of the LORD.

My Dad describes this fear as "a fear of NOT having the Lord...".

It is along the lines of what King David prayed "create in me a clean heart O God, take not Thy Holy Spirit from me..."

This is not a fear of condemnation... there is no condemnation for those of us in Christ. This is a fear of a degree of separation from Him who keeps us sane and healthy and whole and free.

His Spirit convicts not to put us in chains but so we will see the chains that already bind us. So we will see what we are already tangled up in, so that we will not become enslaved again.

It is for complete freedom that Christ has set us free.

This healthy fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. And as Beth Moore wrote in her study A Heart Like His "knowledge applied is wisdom. "

Let's be wise and apply what we know and take some time to confess for a fresh start.

Clean. Pure. Clear vision. Correct focus.

His face is too beautiful and full of love to miss for another moment.

I take comfort in this:
"In Him there is no darkness at all."
~1 John 1:5

Let's look on Him and come fully into the light to become full of Light.

We can't focus on what we can't see. On Who we can't see.

He is faithful to purify us from all the filth we roll around and stew in. It's weighing us down and blinding us. 

He wants us to see Him.

It's time for a fresh start.

How long has it been since you last had a time of confession with the Lord? Do you believe confession has a significant role in our clear vision of Who God is and who we are? 



*** I've had an interesting discussion with my daughter about confession. You can read that story here.***