READ: PSALM 32:1-5; ROMANS 3:23-24; 1 JOHN 1:8-9

Have you ever buttoned your shirt wrong? One button off can cause a shirt to hang longer at the bottom on one side than the other…or cause a sagging of extra fabric in the middle. Usually, the only way to fix this problem is to unbutton the entire shirt, start with the top button, and work your way down. No one likes to do a task all over again, but this is often the only way to correct things. It gives you a fresh start.

That’s true with shirts and with life. The Bible says we all do wrong (we all sin) and it makes a mess of things. We need a fresh start. On our own, this isn’t possible, but if we trust Jesus and confess the wrong things we do, Jesus will forgive us and cleanse us. We can put our sins behind us and start all over again.

All of us have done things that are wrong. Are you thinking of something right now that you’re sorry you did? Do you wish you could undo it and start over again? You can’t undo what’s been done, but you can have a fresh start. You can confess your sin to the Lord—and to others who have been affected by it. This may seem daunting, but remember that Jesus loves you, so much so that He died and rose again for you so you could be forgiven. And He’s ready to help you begin again, fresh and clean. • A. W. Smith

• Sometimes, even as Christians, we get so tangled up in doing things in a way that doesn’t love God or our neighbors that we need to start over. Repenting of our sin and the systems we may have built in the process isn’t easy, but Jesus is with us and is ready to help us turn away from these harmful things so we can turn to Him and start over again. We will need fresh starts moment by moment, but all along the way Jesus will remind us that we can rest in Him. He will never run out of love and forgiveness for us (Matthew 18:21-22). He calls us to confess our sins often, so consider taking a moment now to pray and confess any sins that come to mind. If you’re a Christian, you can know that Jesus has already secured your forgiveness through His death and resurrection, and He is already empowering you to live in His good ways through the Holy Spirit. If you haven’t put your trust in Jesus and you want to know more, check out our “Know Jesus” page.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt…And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:5 (NLT)