What do you think? Should people get second chances? Legalism says, “No.” Grace says, “Yes.” Our readings in Genesis so far show us a repeated pattern. God gives people choices and the people misuse those choices. Because of human sin, the history of humanity spirals out of control. But God wants better things for people, so he continues to give them choices.
After God destroyed the world with a flood, he put a rainbow in the sky as a covenant reminder that he did not want to destroy the world again with water. God gave humankind a second chance. A few chapters later the descendants of Noah developed the ability to make bricks and decided to build a tower to “make a name for themselves.” On the surface this may seem reasonable: why shouldn’t we all make a name for ourselves? But God’s greater purpose is not that we would be the stars in the story, but that we would point toward Jesus and make his name great among us.
God’s purpose for our lives is not primarily that we would love ourselves more. He wants us to love him and seek him first so that he can provide everything we need. The fact that I am writing and you are reading certainly means that God is giving us another chance. The sun came up, we awakened and got out of bed. How will we choose today? Let’s take this chance to love God first and to love our neighbors as ourselves and to make the name of Jesus great. His great name is more important than ours. Today is our big “next chance” in God’s plan. How will we use it? Live for his glory, alone!
Remember Dr. Benjamin Mays’s little poem:
I’ve only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it,
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,
But it’s up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it,
Give an account if I abuse it,
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.
