Romans 15:7 NLT
Therefore, accept
each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given
glory.
In the
last couple of weeks there has been much in the news about Lance Armstrong and
his getting honest about using substances to enhance his performance in
cycling. This is the same guy who for
years has denied this for years.
Armstrong is also known for founding LIVESTRONG after his battle with
cancer. He and the organization have
helped many people who have also battled cancer and raised awareness and
support.
I
believe that God has called me and our church to offer God’s grace and love as
well as second chances to the people we meet.
I believe that sin needs to be dealt with, and the Bible is clear that
our choices bring consequences. Lance
messed up, and there will be consequences for him. Yet Lance is human and deserves God’s grace.
I read
an article last week that I want to share with you today. It is a powerful word about knowing God’s
grace. Read on and may God teach us to
accept others especially as they get honest about their struggles.
Many of us
knew it was coming, and sure enough, Lance Armstrong admitted it all last
night. In an interview with
Oprah, he came clean about doping, basically copping to everything
he’s vehemently denied for over a decade. Details of the interview leaked
shortly after it taped on Monday, so the confession was no surprise. In
fact, it gave me several days to think about it.
And who am I
kidding? I’m pissed. A lot of people are. We bought his story, and we stood
up for him when the going got tough. He coexisted with giants of strength
and endurance — people like Jordan, Ripken, Favre, and Woods.
He beat
cancer, and he won it all. Like 7 times.
We have a
right to be mad. Heck, take the next few minutes and be mad. But
when you’re done, come back, because there’s something else to think about.
—
If there’s
anything positive to say, here’s the best I’ve got.
The charges
didn’t come out of nowhere, but have been dogging Lance for years. Many
stood beside him, and many chose to dismiss him, but no one really knew.
And that’s usually where it stays.
These
kinds of stories don’t usually have any closure.
The world
will never really know about Michael Jackson, or OJ Simpson, or Joe
Paterno. The people who know ain’t talking, and the people who cared are
starting to forget.
But with
Lance, we know. And like Tiger Woods before him, he now has nowhere to
hide. But what he does have is a story with no question marks. And
in a world of second chances, that’s actually worth something.
Lance
Armstrong now has a clean slate, whether you want him to or not. He’s got
baggage, and no shortage of haters, but the question marks are gone. And
in the end, those question marks are what hold your story back the most.
Lance Armstrong … welcome to People of the Second Chance.
(This article
written by Mohan Karulkar was
first posted at the People of the Second Chance blog at this link http://www.potsc.com/potsc/lance-and-the-clean-slate. I am grateful that Mohan and POTSC allowed me
to share this article with you.)
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