I hate it when I make mistakes. I know it is inevitable in life that I'm going to, but I still can't seem to get used to it. Do you know what I'm talking about? When there is a sin in your life that your can't seem to kick out, or when you are doing everything right and you think you have everything under control, and then you slip up? Go ahead and think of a time this has happened for you. Maybe it is a sin that has haunted you for a long time, maybe it was a one-time sin that still haunts you. All of us have these sins though, and for one moment, dwell on that.
Now that you've dwelt on your own sins, I want to take you to a different setting. Imagine you are put in control of city. You are now king (or queen) and you make all the decisions. It's all up to you. Cool, right? You have a buddy who is very close to God and you are aware of his devotion to the Lord, because of your friendship with him, you have put him over all your other advisors. You have been friends with him for a while and you have seen beautiful things happen from the God he serves, you have even gone so far as to make a plan for setting him over the whole Kingdom when you are all done.
It's just a normal day, your making all your king-like decisions and sitting on your thrown, just doing your thing; staying busy, when one hundred and twenty two of your advisors come to you and say "Oh King, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions." This offer sounds pretty appealing to you. Why wouldn't you want people to worship you, right? You are the king after all, but there is a catch. Your advisors continue "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked." If you sign the document saying that for thirty days, no one can worship anyone but you or they are thrown into the lions den, you have to follow through. There is no going back. However, you can't think of any reason to not sign it, so you sign away and watch people bow down at your feet.
The next day, your advisors come back to you with some news. They tell you that your buddy who worships God refuses to bow down to you. You think to yourself "Oh no, I didn't see that one coming". You realize it was a plot by your advisors to get rid of who you planned to crown next as King but there is nothing you can do. You can't revoke it, that power is not in your hands. You do the only thing you can do. First, fight for him, when that doesn't work, you cry for him as he is being taken to the lion's den, when your crying ceases, you fast, pray, and hope that God will deliver him.
You wake up in the morning, and run to the lion's den, yelling "are you alive, has your God delivered you?" You here your friend cry back, "yes! He has shut the lion's mouths." You rejoice and are glad.
You may recognize this story. It is commonly called Daniel in the Lion's Den. The King made a poor choice that had consequences for his best friend, but none for him. We have the same potential in our lives. Our choices in life can hurt others, not just ourselves. So what do we do when we have made that choice that we cannot control but has hurt someone else? We cannot just ignore it. First, we fight for them, we do what we can to change the mistake we've made. If our fighting fails and reconciliation has still not been delivered, let us mourn with them, let us show them that we hurt with them. Let us not simply let them sit in sadness alone. Once all has failed, may we have the humility and faith to run to God screaming Help! I have hurt my brother in Christ! Do not let him suffer from my mistakes, but deliver him. I am sorry. When we come to God with this, he will turn to us and say "I will take the piercings of transgression upon myself, be forgiven and run to your brother who rests in my arms."
God is faithful to forgive us for when we hurt ourselves and others. These times are going to come in life. When we make a mistake and it seems the consequences outweigh what has been committed. When these times come, remember God. Remember his hands, remember the blood, the sacrifice, the death, the love, the grace, the mercy. The consequence of His choice is the forgiveness of ours.
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