My first idea for this blog post came when I considered a time in my life and times in my friends lives where we were given a chance and without that chance we probably wouldn't be where we are today. Someone took a chance on us. This is what I wrote down when I wanted to write a blog post on Chances a few weeks ago:
"You will never know what someone can be until you give them a chance.
In other words you may think someone cannot do it but if you don't give them the chance to prove themselves then you will never truly know."
On the day I first thought about this blog post, I was also thinking of the phrase "Diamonds in the rough." I know this phrase has another meaning which online is this - "Someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law." Although the meaning I have and reason I thought of it and it's stuck with me are people who are capable of more but they're at a place in their lives where they haven't been given the chance to prove they're a diamond. With that chance then you will know that they are actually a "diamond in the rough" and can do it.
You may know already or you're just finding out but I am a big music fan and when I was thinking of this blog post, the song I thought about for it was Abba's - Take a Chance on Me. I know the song is a romantic song for relationships, my blog post on chances applies to all aspects of life where you can be given a chance but I thought of this song because of the title "Take a Chance on Me". Now I'm going old school and you're in for a treat too because here it is below ;):
"Take a chance on me". That one phrase can apply to all human beings. Everyone wants that; to be given a chance. Will everyone always give you a chance? No. Oh I mean to say yes - everyone will hand you chances on a silver platter. Seriously, no they won't. Life does not work like that. There are so many people around the world that haven't been given a chance. However where in some instances you will not be given the chance but in others instances you will be. Maybe you didn't get a chance on X and X was your dream but later on in life you were given the chance on Y and Y will never be X but Y turns out to be greater that what you even imagined X to be. Losing X hurt but gaining Y is a new dream come true! That is how the course of my life and many people's lives I know and have read or heard about have turned out. No matter how your life goes whether it goes according to plan like an X or changes course like a Y either way there is great life out there for you! You know how I know this because God says so in Jeremiah 29:11. From my bible: "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
I have mostly covered being given chances. That was where my intitial ideas came from. With my writing I don't have my blog posts planned out from day one. I get a small idea and I think about it and grow it and then when I start writing I start building it... The next part of my blog post on chances is "Second Chances."
Do people deserve a second chance? The verse that came to me as I thought about that question is this:
Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord how often shall by brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."
70 x 7 = 490. It does not mean literally 490 so it's not a suggestion to keep a tally of how many times someone sins against us until we stop forgiving them. What that means is no matter how many times someone sins against us God asks us to forgive as He forgave us. Jesus was nailed to a cross, they wanted Him to die and this is what He said:
Luke 23:34: And Jesus said, "Father forgive them; for they know not what they do."
He didn't say Father strike them all with lightning bolts they don't deserve your forgiveness. It wasn't about deserving or undeserving it was about love. He loves us so much. Romans 5: 8 says "But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
I just got an idea this is exactly the right point in my blog post to share this picture I downloaded about a month ago. I downloaded it because the words were the same words I had on a laminated copy that was on a shelf in my room for most of my childhood. It always reminded me of how much God loves us.
Above I am talking about the second chances that apply to relationships - all kinds of relationships from friends to family to someone you're married to or with. It doesn't mean that we must hang around people that put us down because we must be forgiving and loving. It doesn't mean keep giving someone chance after chance but they make no effort to change. In some cases sometimes you have to forgive and move on. You don't feel anger towards that person anymore but they're not someone you want to be around anymore. It doesn't mean you don't forgive them for what they did but if you keep spending time with them they'll keep doing more things to you. That is where you can't keep giving chances if someone makes no effort at all to change.
Now I'm going to write about where you can give a chance. First thing we've got to realise is that we are all sinners. Although because we are all sinners that is not an excuse for doing wrong. You can't say "oh well I am only human." You are accountable for what you do. If you make a mistake you have to acknowledge it and accept the blame for it and of course confess to God what you have done and ask for His forgiveness. Yes we do all make mistakes but that is also not an excuse. If we do wrong, we should apologize for our wrong. We swallow our pride and admit it. That is the way to recovery. If someone does wrong to you but they are willing to change and trying to make a change, if they are coming from a good place and keep trying to change their life for the better that is where we can trust someone and give them a chance.
Even though someone may have good intentions and a good heart and they are really trying to change their circumstances they will not always be given a second chance. What you realise is God ALWAYS forgives, people do not always forgive. Second chances or however many chances do not always happpen. However even if someone never gave us a true chance again like we hoped they would, you have to know you answer to God and not man. God knows your heart, He knows where you are coming from. He knows you are truly sorry for what you did and you want to make a change but not all people will see what God sees.
Whatever side of chances you are on whether someone is asking you for a chance or you've asked someone to give you a chance, remember all those chances God gives you all the time. Mistake after mistake and He still gives you one more chance. Also remember that when someone is down and drowning in their sin and not looking for God's salvation, God can help them out of it but no help will come from Him until they ask and turn to God. They may need to reach a turning point before they get given chances or they will drag you down with them.
I found this song online a few weeks ago and I listen to it almost everyday. If you're a boy, just imagine the lyrics to apply to you, you will see what I mean.
God can put anyone back together again!
I literally spent the whole afternoon writing this blog post! It is a long one but it's been a while since I wrote something on this blog so I guess this does make up for it in a way!
I am going to end my blog post with this song because of its lyrics! This is another song I have been listening to a lot! It's AWESOME! If you listen to it you will be amazed, it is actually a Christian song and it's got a great beat! As I've said before not all Christian music is gospel.
As it says in the song, "Life just ain't the same when I'm with You" meaning we just aren't the same when we're with God because He brings out the best in us and gives us a chance at life that makes our lives incredible!
With that I shall love and leave you,
Until I write again,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
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