And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. – Exodus 2:12, KJV

We all mess us. It’s in our nature. We are going to sin either by accident or on purpose. Sometimes our sins will be huge ones, and when they are, we can be prone to conclude that our usefulness to God has come to an end. We could indeed cease to be useful to God, but only if we refuse to receive God’s forgiveness.

Sometimes we sin so horribly that we feel like we ought not, or cannot, be forgiven by God. Such feelings are understandable, but they are foolish because they rest on the assertion that my sin is bigger than my God. God is always bigger and more powerful than my sin, and He absolutely wants His children to repent of and to get past their mistakes.

To remind us of just how willing God is to forgive us and to use us after we sin, we need only look to the Bible. Was not Moses a cold-blooded, calculating murderer in Exodus 2:12? Yet, God later used Moses mightily to rescue His people from slavery and to write the first five books of the Bible. Was not Paul a murderer and persecutor of Christ? Yet, God later used Paul to win nations of Gentiles and to write a huge portion of the New Testament. Was not King David both an adulterer and a murderer? Yet, God restored David, continued to use him to lead His people, and empowered him to write some of the most touching verses in Scripture.

Yes, we will mess up. Yes, we will feel guilty. And, yes, we will be prone to feel useless from time to time. But, God is willing to forgive us if we will simply be willing to accept His forgiveness. Once we do, He will pick us up, dust us off, and put us back in the game of life for His glory.