If you could pinpoint an experience or story that paints a picture of being connected, disconnected, and reconnected, what would it be? Let me show you an easy one that is in the Book of Genesis.

We all know God created mankind perfectly, and we know that before the fall of man everything was perfect; there was no death and no sin of any kind. We see this in the first two chapters of Genesis. When the third chapter comes along, we see where Adam and Eve become disconnected from God when the enemy deceives them to eat from the tree in the garden God specifically told them not to eat from (Genesis 3:1-5). Then we see in the rest of the chapter that sin officially entered the world, and Adam and Eve figured out what good and evil is. Briefly afterwards, we see them cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7).

Notice how when sin entered, they automatically figured that they were naked. Their automatic action was to cover themselves up. They were also ashamed of themselves when they heard God walking through the garden. They didn’t like what they did and so they thought covering themselves up and hiding would be a better option.

Most of the time, when we do something that we know is not right, the first thing we feel is guilt. We feel the Holy Spirit convicting us. At first, the guilt we feel isn’t necessarily the guilt that produces self-hatred, it’s the guilt that is supposed to help us ask for forgiveness and get reconnected with God. Now, when you feel so disappointed in your mistake that it causes you to feel like God won’t forgive, that’s the enemy trying to keep you there. He’s always hoping you’ll fall again or stay where you are.

I find it quite incredible that God is so loving, merciful, graceful, and faithful that even when you mess up, He’s right there to forgive you without shaming you or making you feel like you’re the worst person on the planet. In fact, He acknowledges that we’re imperfect and wants us to go to Him when we become disconnected. He is always ready with open arms to get reconnected with you.

I’m almost certain every single one reading this has gone through a power outage. When the power is on, things work that need power to run. Maybe you’ve been in the middle of writing an essay, and all of the sudden, boom! Power goes out, you stare at the screen in complete and utter confusion for three seconds, then realize the power went out and you didn’t even save the 3 pages of pure and juicy content to turn in when it’s due. Then 10 seconds later, power comes back on and you put yourself down for not simply clicking one single button to save the entire thing. For those who haven’t experienced that, maybe you’ve been showering and have just applied soap to your head. You turn to rinse, open your eyes, and realize that your eyes are completely open, but it’s dark. You turn the water off and carefully try to get out to dry off.

The tasks you have to do in the dark without power are almost always difficult. Power is one of those things today that is almost necessary to have to operate in life. There are some similarities and differences between power and God. Similarly, without God life always is more difficult. It’s the same with power. The difference between God and power is that God fulfills everything, whereas power only fulfills a decent portion. 

So, the message I want to leave with those who are reading this is don’t let your disconnection prevent you from becoming reconnected. Don’t let your mistakes dwell in your heart forever to the point where you won’t move forward. Don’t listen to the negative guilt that you might feel afterwards. Remember, God can cloth you in His unconditional love just like He did to Adam and Eve by clothing them in animal skin. The sacrifices He made for you are because He loves you. 

Let me elaborate. 

How did God cloth them? He had to sacrifice an animal, right? Instead of abandoning Adam and Eve, He made a sacrifice to cloth them. They knew exactly what they did and were ashamed, but He still continued to Love. He knew fully that they made a mistake, and that man became imperfect when they disobeyed Him. Now, let’s take a look at an even greater sacrifice. Jesus Christ was sent down specifically to die for our sins, and He did. The sacrifice He made for us is something that we simply cannot repay. It’s not only a sacrifice, it’s a gift given to the imperfect. The gift of eternal life.

The question is though, are you willing to accept that free gift and accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour? To give up your ways and seek His?