Always Start Afresh with God

Don’t let your weaknesses discourage you

Remorse is a feeling of regret for mistakes made. It can help us to correct our behaviour. However, we must avoid letting it develop into extreme guilt. Whilst it is true that some people never think they are in the wrong, there are others who believe they are the cause of all the evil around them. They blame themselves for the slightest thing. Some see themselves as deeply sinful, unworthy of God’s love, His friendship, His call, the responsibility entrusted to them, and so on. Similarly, although in some cases there may be a spirit of humility in their behaviour, this often goes to extremes. We have an example in the person of Judas: he felt guilty for having betrayed Jesus, he returned the money he had been given for his betrayal and hanged himself.

It is possible that during this Lenten season, we may feel limited, full of weaknesses, and burdened by sin. We may feel guilty about a lack of faithfulness or inconsistency in our friendship with Jesus, through neglect of personal prayer, laziness in seeking to please Jesus, failure to keep our resolutions, a lack of zeal for evangelisation, or a lack of enthusiasm for spiritual activities. The weaknesses we have often displayed and the missteps we have taken may weigh heavily upon us and tend to discourage us. Whatever our unfaithfulness and however wretched our state may be, let us not lose heart. Discouragement is the work of the devil. We must ignore suggestions that seek to discourage us, such as: ‘Give it up, there’s nothing you can do about it, you won’t succeed, you know yourself; you won’t last, nobody can really live up to what’s asked of them, you’ve taken on too much, think of yourself a bit’.” Do not fall into this trap. God is merciful. Personally, in my spiritual life, this is one of the aspects that has often filled me with the greatest joy. When I feel myself faltering, being unfaithful, and I tend to get discouraged, I remember and realise God’s mercy, and instantly my heart is filled with joy and I feel reinvigorated.

God is always ready to start afresh with us

God is like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). The father welcomes his repentant and remorseful son with open arms. For the father, the most important thing was his son’s return. He does not condemn him. ‘For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through him’ (John 3:17). God is merciful; it is we who often refuse to accept his mercy, because we ourselves find it hard to forgive, and we tend to project our own image onto God. With God, we learn to live from one new beginning to the next. Always being ready to start afresh with God is a sign of spiritual maturity. We do not take pleasure in staying down. We get back up after we fall.

Every Lent is a helping hand extended to us to help us start afresh with God. Just as Jesus asks us to forgive 70 times 7, that is to say, without end, so God Himself is the first to forgive us in this way. He loves us just as we are; even if others cannot bring themselves to love or understand us, He loves us and welcomes us just as we sincerely present ourselves to Him. He is ready to start afresh with each one of us, every time, always. Yet He does not want us to remain in laziness and complacency. He said to the woman caught in adultery: ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’ (Jn 8:11). God would like this Lent to be an opportunity for you and for me to make further progress. ‘Make every effort to confirm the calling you have received’ (2 Peter 1:10). God gives us an opportunity to return calmly to our vocation if we have neglected it. To begin a new phase, to start loving Him again and speaking with Him, to please Him. Lent is also an opportunity to bring order to our lives: to our daily routine, our relationships, our priorities and our commitments. Let us break down all barriers, for God awaits us with open arms.

Henri Bayemi