Did you know that in British Columbia, Canada, you cannot take a picture of a woman with a wooden leg. And do you know why? Most people who live there know why, but, believe it or not, they don’t know that they know why. Maybe you’re not sure right now, but the more you think about it I’m sure you’ll know why.

Sometimes we experience such mental pauses when we try to figure something out that looks as if it could have many answers. But once we learn the truth, it all boils down to the one we should have immediately thought of.

Life is like that sometimes, especially when we keep getting things wrong, and no matter what we say or do, it doesn’t seem to provide the correct answer, and we feel like we are always ending back at square one in the puzzle. That means when we’ve tried all the options we know and it still doesn’t work out, we start all over again from the beginning. As a matter of fact, someone even invented a puzzle called “Back to Square One” that is similar to Rubik’s Cube.

This same thinking has made its way into our spiritual thinking, and often when a believer gets mixed up and gets lost along the way to the destiny God has chosen for them, and they just don’t seem to know where they are at with God and their relationship with Christ, they are often told to start all over. Go back to square one. Try and see if they can get it right this time, or this 3^rd time, or for some the 5^th time.

But this is not Biblical. Because you see, if every Christian who made mistakes and fell back into their old sinful ways were required to start all over again, then Jesus would have to die all over again. And that isn’t going to happen. John put it best when he said that if we make a mistake and thereby become disobedient to God’s will in our lives and the purpose for which He has called us, don’t go back to square one but get things straightened out, right where you are. Charlotte Elliot penned it this way in verse three of her poem: Just as I am. It goes this way: “Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”

In fact, if you are reading this right now and you know this posting was meant for you, just get a hymn book or look up the lyrics on the internet and read all six verses. Here’s how John put it: “If we confess our mistakes, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.” No going back to square one, but do so right where we are. Reconcile with Him and continue on toward your appointed day when you’ll meet Him face to face.

Because you see, all that you accomplished for Him up to the point where you went astray is not lost. God kept that safe in His vault of grace and mercy. So when you do arrive before Him after getting right again, here is the wonderful thing: all that you did wrong, for which you were forgiven, will not be on the record. But all that you did for His honor, praise and glory from the day you were born again, will be listed and counted for the honor to receive a crown of righteous from His own hand. Can you say, Amen!