Did Mr. Right pass me by? Do my past sins exclude me from God’s best?

I have several friends and acquaintances in their late twenties or early thirties who are asking these questions. Many of whom have just broken off relationships with the wrong guy, because they are following God and waiting for the right guy. I remember the first time I really understood God could redeem my past — truly life-changing.

The clock seems to be ticking. Women start to worry about fertility. Often remind God they are still single. {Just in case He didn’t notice}. And the temptation becomes to go back to dating the wrong guy, casually ‘hang out with’ losers, or become consumed with guilt over the past. I’ve been there.

My friend Julie made a really hard decision this past year. She was in a five-year relationship, 29 years old, and broke it off. Why? Because she knew (and had known for years) he wasn’t the right guy. She was comfortable with dating and not comfortable with being single, and just kept dating *Adam knowing he wasn’t God’s best. She and Adam were living together. They shared a car and furniture. He had even started talking about rings and engagement. But Julie had the courage to break up with the wrong guy, even with the notion Mr. Right may not come around for a while. 9 months later, she’s still single and recently confessed, “I just feel like I spent so many years screwing around and not following God. Did I miss my chance for marriage? What if I screwed up God’s plan for me?”

This is a very real fear.

I want to take you to a well-known story in the Bible. The story of David and Bathsheba. As you might recall, David became King of Israel after he killed the giant. King David was living in God’s plan and decided to take a detour — off a cliff. This detour resulted in an affair with a married woman named Bathsheba and deception and eventually murder. In order to cover up his sin, David had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah sent to the front lines of battle — knowing there wasn’t a chance he’d make it out alive. Uriah died and David married Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11)

Sexual sin. Deception. Murder. Could it get any worse?

Although there were grave consequences to David’s sin {there always are}, God didn’t give up on him. After what I’m sure was months if not years of agony, guilt, among a host of other emotions, David and Bathsheba had a son. And they named him Solomon. Solomon became the next King of Israel and was called, “the wisest man who ever lived.” He authored two books of the Bible: Song of Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes. Bathsheba was in the lineage of Jesus and mentioned in Matthew 1. Was it God’s plan for David to sleep with a married woman and kill her husband? Absolutely not. I don’t presume to know what God’s plan for the next King of Israel was before David sinned, but I do believe God can always redeem our pasts. He forgave David for His sin and simply recalculated the route to His greatest.

Will your past cancel out God’s plans for you? Have you missed your chance at marriage or happiness because of your sin? Will your past decisions will exclude you from God’s blessings for your life?

Absolutely not. When I get distracted and go off course, my GPS kindly says “recalculating…recalculating.”  It doesn’t mean it doesn’t take me longer to get to where I’m going or I don’t get frustrated or I’m not a little uncomfortable feeling lost. But my GPS always recalculates.

God promises to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west. God doesn’t hold the past against us, but longs to bless each of us with His best. It may take time, but be patient-keep the faith-and don’t ever take the easy road. God can redeem your past and use you to further His story here on earth. He’s done it in my life, and He can do it in yours too. Remember: He always recalculates.

To read more about this topic click here to read “God Isn’t Punishing You”.

If you liked this post, you may also like:

• June 24 – Remembering God’s Promise
• What if I Never Get Married? The Feared Call of Singleness
• Dating Mistakes: I Can Change Him
• Do you really think you’re that important?