Are You Looking for a Fresh Start?

Are you looking for new beginnings in some area of your life? When the Prodigal Son committed himself to a different lifestyle, he sensed this was his only option and that the opportunity otherwise would be lost forever. Do you need to ask, “What do I need to change so I will be blessed and accepted by God?”

A fresh start doesn’t mean forgetting regretful choices and behaviors. It does require changing your attitude and imposing self-control in places detrimental to yourself and others. The Prodigal Son changed from being a pompous brat who confessed, “I’ve made a fool of myself and failed completely, but I’ve learned my lesson.”

He learned to value life and how to be sincerely humble. This paved the way for acceptance and forgiveness to be received. It also paved the way for a new beginning and hope for a life absent of guilt and shame. If this is your heart’s desire, God will help you change and succeed.                    

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Your beginning may be small, but later years will be very great.
~Job 8:7 International Standard Version

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Errors in Judgment? Corrections Are Possible

Whenever a new beginning is embarked upon, fine-tuning objectives are often required to safeguard success. While it's impossible to predict every obstacle that interferes with reaching an objective, being prepared can prevent setbacks or even failure. Errors in judgment will at some point have to be faced.

When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the people waiting for him grew restless and persuaded Aaron, Moses' brother, to make a golden calf for them to worship. They wanted a god with a face to take the place of the invisible God who had delivered them from Egyptian slavery.

The Israelites discovered that faulty judgments can be costly, but if seen as a learning experience, they can be a guide for future decisions. While some judgment calls cannot be revoked, corrections are possible with God’s help and guidance. His mercy and grace are greater than all your sin. God is quick to forgive when you turn to him and away from sin.  

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If you want to know what God wants to know, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it.  

~James 1:5 The Living Bible

 But if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find him reliable and just – he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.

~1 John 1:9 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

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Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.