A Clean Chain

Bible Reading: LUKE 15:11-24

“Hey, Zack! Are you ready to ride?” asked Uncle Tim as his nephew pushed a mountain bike through the door of his garage. “The trails are in great shape. Maybe we can stop for ice cream afterward. To regain our strength.” He grinned.

Zack smiled weakly. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

Uncle Tim studied his nephew more closely. “Is something wrong, Zack? When I called two nights ago to invite you to go riding with me, you whooped so loudly you woke your baby sister. Where’s your enthusiasm?”

Zack sighed. “I just keep thinking about my friend Aaron. He’s really mad at me.” “What happened?”

“We got a new kid in our class.” Zack shrugged miserably. “I wanted him to

think I was cool, so I said some things about Aaron that made him look dumb and me look good. Aaron didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day.”

“I see,” Uncle Tim said thoughtfully. “Zack, wheel your bike over here.” He clamped a plastic device on the chain. “This is a degreaser,” he explained and began cranking the pedals backward. “When the chain cycles through it, the brushes and solution scrub away all the debris that builds up between the links. I have to do this regularly to keep my bike in good working order.” He looked at Zack. “Sometimes people need a good cleaning too.”

Zack shuffled his feet on the cement floor. “How do I do that?”

“Tell Jesus what you did. He saved you from sin, and He promises to forgive you when you confess your wrongs. You don’t need to carry this guilt on our ride.”

Zack looked doubtful, but he closed his eyes. “Jesus, I messed up and said some things to Aaron that I regret. Will You forgive me?”

“He already has,” Uncle Tim said. “Feel better?”

Zack smiled. “A little.”

“You’re not done yet.” Uncle Tim wheeled their bikes toward his car and

began fastening them into the rack. “We’ll stop at Aaron’s on our way out of town. After you ask for his forgiveness, you can invite him along. No matter what he decides, you’ll ride lighter, knowing you did the right thing.” MICHELLE ISENHOFF

How About You?

Have you ever had to ask someone to forgive you? Admitting mistakes can be difficult, and there’s no guarantee that the person you wronged will forgive you. But Jesus always will. Confess your sins to Him, and then ask the person you hurt for forgiveness too. Do your best to mend broken friendships and trust God with the outcome.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 JOHN 1:9 IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Ask forgiveness from God and others.