Holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom said, “No pit is so deep that God is not deeper still.”  Although “pits” can refer either to situations we bring on ourselves or to circumstances completely beyond our control, I am so glad God can handle either kind.  Many of my personal pits have been ones I could have avoided, but thankfully God has never given up on me.  More than once, He has reached down to pick me up and love me back to wholeness in Him.  Unfortunately, sometimes I still struggle with the fact that I fell walked into the “pits” in the first place (and -some of them- more than once).

I surrendered my life to Jesus at a young age and I had every intention to live a pure life for God.  I knew I wouldn’t be perfect, but I loved Him.  As the years went by, however, I found myself falling into some serious and sinful patterns.  I would repent, turn back to God, and then I would live for Him and grow as a Christian for several months or even for several years at a time.  Then I would again fall into a sin that I thought I had overcome.

Part of my problem was that instead of waiting for God’s best and allowing His plan to play out in my life, I had a bad habit of settling for the fastest solutions.  I “labored in vain” by not allowing Him to build my houses (Psalm 127:1).  I made my requests known to God but then tried to get them on my own terms and on my own timetable.  I repeatedly made a mess and made myself miserable.

My Turning Point

I would like to say that I had some kind of epiphany one day, and I suddenly became the ultimate Christian.  That didn’t happen.  What has happened is that God is still working on me.  I have been walking with God for a few years now, and He has given me many blessings – and allowed some challenges – in my life to help me steadily grow and learn.  I still have far to go, but I am thankful He is patient to help me and that He is teaching me more about how He feels about me – even after all of my pitfalls.

What I’ve Learned

• The devil wants Christians to feel like giving up so that they won’t be effective witnesses or ministers to others. Christians who have struggled with addictions or who have repeatedly “fallen” into deep, sinful pits are attractive targets for the devil.  Like the prodigal son, when I repeatedly failed and repented I did not feel worthy to be more than a servant anymore.  I certainly did not feel worthy of being a princess, the daughter of a royal king.  I could hear the devil accusing, “You’re not worthy!  You’ll be lucky just to get into Heaven by the skin of your teeth!”  God reminded me that, while it’s true I could never be worthy on my own, He makes me worthy through the righteousness and the blood of His son, Jesus, who took the punishment for all my sins on the cross.
• I will be blessed if I wait on God, and I will regret it later if I don’t. It is still difficult to wait when I want out of a hard situation or when I am in a boring “rut” with no change in sight, but God wants me to trust Him, obey Him, and remain patient.  If I do these things, I am amazed at the plan He brings to reality in my life – in His time.
• Although I’m not proud of my past, God has never changed His mind about me no matter how deep or how many times I have plunged into sin. God hates sin and is always grieved by it, but He has never lessened His love for me.  He has never restored my relationship with Himself because it was His obligation as my father. He has forgiven me and welcomed me back because He loves me!  I am precious and valuable to Him…And so are you!
• Perhaps the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that I should never think I have arrived at the point where I won’t fall into a certain sin again. I’ve made the mistake in the past of thinking, “I’ll never do that again!”  I should have remembered God’s warning that we must stay on guard and be “watchful” because the devil is constantly trying to catch and “devour” us (I Peter 5:8).  God certainly gives us the power not to sin, and He calls us to live holy and pure lives (I Peter 1:16).  To have His power available when I need it, I must be connected to Him through reading His word, praying, and staying in a close relationship with Him.

What About You?

Maybe you know Jesus as your Savior and love God with all your heart but feel like a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th…) class Christian.  My pastor says there are no 2nd class Christians, and I agree.  Whatever your past has been, believe what God says about you now, not what the devil tries to whisper in your ear and not what other people (even other Christians) may say or think about you.  God’s opinion is the only real truth, and He says you are the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).  He has a great plan for your future!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Do you have a testimony of something God has done in your life, a word of encouragement, or a Bible verse to share with Christians who may be feeling “2nd class”?   If so, please comment and share it!