S.3 EP.4 - How do I come back from a bad decision as a Christian?

May 24

Carla tackles a listener question about moving forward after making multiple bad decisions. Drawing from her own experiences, she highlights the importance of developing a spiritually healthy perspective on bad decisions. Discover the significance of living for God versus living for oneself and learn how to seek repentance, receive forgiveness, and face the consequences of your actions. Find hope in God's redemptive power as you navigate the aftermath of bad decisions.

Key Takeaways:

Carla opens by sharing about the Affirming Truths Facebook Community, where you can have a voice in the topics of the pod! This episode came from feedback on Facebook, and Carla is happy to share!

Carla shares that she used to be a “pro” bad-decision maker that affected the trajectory of her life as, even as an adult. She asked herself “How do you come back from these mistakes, when I built my own stumbling blocks?”
What does it really mean when we make a bad decision? Carla shares that, unless we develop a spiritually healthy perspective of what actually happens when we make bad decisions, we likely won’t come back from them, and will continue to stay in the cycle of bad decision making.
The question to ask: Are you living for God, or are you living for yourself? Carla shares that, ultimately, bad decisions are a product of sin and happen when we walk outside the will of God. We need to recognize where we stopped seeking first the kingdom of God - sometimes it’s driven by trauma, fear, anxiety, self-righteousness, pride, etc.
So what do we do when we make a bad decision?

We need to turn to God, confess, and repent. He is faithful and just and will forgive us! Repentance is a commandment for Christians, not just a good idea.
You need to receive repentance - don’t get stuck in shame! Shame keeps us stuck in sin and locks us out of the purpose for our lives! Remember, we have all fallen short - you have not fallen farther than any other person.

Having repentance and receiving forgiveness does not mean you don’t face consequences. Carla shares personal experiences where she had to work through the long-term consequences of her decisions. God doesn’t necessarily save us from our consequences, but He can redeem your situation. God’s not gonna waste your bad decision - he’s gonna redeem it.