The Magnificent Return
WEST SIDE'S BUMP FOR THE MONTH
-January 2, 2001
The Magnificent Return
In the world of hockey there is without a doubt the greatest story
of the past four years coming out of Pittsburgh.
Mario Lemieux, the Magnificent One, has returned to the game he once
dominated to see if he could play with the big boys one last time.
In his first two games back, it almost seems as if he had never left.
After being away from the ice for over 3 years, he is still playing on
a level that only a handful of men have ever played.
In a movie that Sara and I watched recently a man was on trial for
murdering the three hospital workers who were responsible for his
young sons death. His lawyer wanted to declare the man insane and felt
he had a pretty good shot at getting him off. However the man wanted
to be declared sane and take responsibility for his actions. When his
lawyer asked him why, the man replied, "a good man is not without fault,
he takes responsibility and moves forward." (my paraphrase d.c.)
As Christians the idea of returning or bouncing back after a fall
is a hard one to grasp and yet one that all of us need to understand.
Every one of us has faults and will fall from time to time.
In fact according to the New Testament the one who thinks he will not
fall is actually in danger of doing just that (1 Corinthians 10:12).
The determining factor to if we can ever come back is how we respond
after we have fallen.
There are two paths that will prevent us from bouncing back:
First, if we take the position that the fault is not ours for falling &
second, if we succumb to the idea that we can't come back after a
great fall.
Both of these will negate the promise of Jesus that is so wonderful in
that all of us who fall can come back and even be at the same level
that we were at before our failure. The Bible describes the only
proper process with two words: repentance and forgiveness.
When we fall we take responsibility that the fault is ours and belongs
to no other, than we repent (turn back towards God and seek
forgiveness) and our God will grant us forgiveness every time
(1 John 1:9).
When this is accomplished the soul truly knows how magnificent a
comeback really is.
We are told in Proverbs 24:16 that "a righteous man falls seven
times, and rises again".
Don't think because you've been away from the game of
righteousness that you can never come back. It may be hard, it may
take a lot of effort to get right with God again, but what a feeling
when you step out on the ice again!
You can always bounce back with Jesus!
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