MAKE THE TURN

Take two magnets and hold them close together.

If you have the polarity right, they will attract one another and stick together. Try pulling the magnets apart. Takes a little effort doesn't it?

Now hold the magnets about 1/4" apart and let one go! See how they come together again? That is because of the magnetic pull of one on the other.

Now put the two together again. Pull them apart to about 1/4" again. Now turn one of them around and let it go. See how the forces between them actually pushed one away?

That is the same idea of what happens to us when we "repent" or turn away from things that are holding us back.

So many people believe that repenting means asking forgiveness - but this is not all of the story. To repent means to "turn the other way". And just like our magnet, when we turn away from the things that have been holding us back, we will actually begin to be repelled from them. They will eventually become repulsive to us.

Whether it is a bad habit, a bad relationship or a troubled past, we must turn away.

So often, many people will go through the hard work of breaking away from the things that hold them back, but they never make the turn away from those things. Because of that, when they lose their grip on pulling away, they are drawn back into the old ways.

One reason this is true is because we must keep making the choice to turn away until it becomes a new habit. We replace our old thoughts with new ones, we replace our old relationships with new ones, we replace the places we used to go with new ones, until "old things have passed away and all things have become new".

This process is INSTANT in Christ. The moment we ask forgiveness and accept him as our savior, everything is NEW, but we must walk that out.

It's not so much that falling back into old habits will condemn us to an eternal hell as much as it will keep us from enjoying the fullness of life that Christ purchased for us.

What do you need to turn away from today? Do you need to turn your back on a habit that keeps you from being all that you can be in Christ? Do you need to turn your back on some relationships that continually drag you into sin and failure?

Yes, those can be tough decisions and require much effort on our part, but in the end, they are worth every ounce of energy we pour into them. And with God's daily-renewed Mercy, and His limitless Grace, we can MAKE THE TURN!