I have met people who feel they are too far gone to be useful to God or for God’s work.
“Oh Pastor Bill. You don’t know how bad I’ve been. You don’t know what I’ve done. I’m too far gone and God could never forgive me for what I have done.” A similar thought is them asking me if they could be forgiven.
There’s truth and false in that statement. It is (most likely) true that I don’t know what they have done (but in the course of the conversation will probably be told). The false part of that statement is the biggest mistake of all: that he or she has done something so big and so bad that God cannot forgive.
Let me put it very clearly: NO. ONE. IS. OUT. OF. THE. REACH. OF. GOD’S. LOVE. AND. FORGIVENESS. I could repeat that statement but you get the drift. NO MATTER how far down we have gone; no matter how far out we have strayed; no matter how bad we feel we have acted; no matter how far we feel we have drifted; God’s love is greater.
The Apostle Paul put it this way: “I pray from His glorious unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wise, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.” (Eph. 3:16-19 NLT)
My emphasis whenever I read that passage is on that phrase “how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” The reality is I cannot know. You cannot know. What I DO know is that His love was wide enough, long enough, high enough and deep enough until it included me.
May you know and be aware of the magnificence and reach of God’s love today.