Reset

Reset

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

I am not a computer whiz. In fact, one of the most difficult things about starting my own business was leaving behind the help desk—all those smart people who come to your aid whenever you have a computer problem without making you feel like a fool.

The other day my e-mail suddenly went haywire. When I clicked on the inbox, up popped an entirely different screen than the one I was used to seeing. Messages were not arranged by date but by some kind of helter-skelter system I could not decipher. Suddenly and without warning, my most recent e-mails had vanished.

If you’re better at computers than I am, you probably know that I simply had to click on the “View” menu, select “Arrange By,” “Customize View,” “Reset Current View,” and then click on “OK” when a box popped up asking me, “Are you sure you want to reset the view ‘Messages’ to its original settings?” It only took me about an hour to figure out what a help desk could have fixed in about sixty seconds.

When it comes to our spiritual lives, there may be times when we need to push the reset button. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you probably realize that it’s possible to get sidetracked when it comes to our faith. We can fall into negative habits that lead us away from faith, like doubting that God loves us. Like eating everything in sight. Like focusing too much on money. Like thinking everything depends on us rather than on God. At such times, pushing the reset button involves repenting and returning to the foundational truths of our faith, truths like John 3:16 or Matthew 22:37-39, where Jesus lays out the two great commandments that should characterize our lives: “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. . . . Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In the end, pushing the reset button means admitting you’re not a spiritual whiz and then turning to the one who loves you and is able to help you get back on track.

Lord, keep me on the path that leads to life. Direct my steps and I will not fall.