Missing the mark

There is a reason I have harvested very few antlered deer in my lifetime. It isn't because of diminished animal populations as much as my poor shooting skills. I have a severe twitch when I squeeze the trigger. It is probably a reaction to the forthcoming recoil. Ask me to shoot at a target and I might hit the bullseye....eventually. I mean, give me several gross of shells and the likelihood of a hit goes up significantly!

In shooting or in life, we have to hit the mark. We must carefully take aim and release the ammunition or our gifts and energy toward a target. Do you have goals and dreams? Then aim toward them.

There is an issue with hitting the target in life. Sin tends to be the fly in the soup and can often keep us from hitting the mark. Hamartia, the Greek word for failure or sin simply means, 'missing the mark'. Much like my inability to have a bullet hit the bullseye, sin derails us and our life is greatly affected.

I'm sure given time and some instruction from a 'Top Shot' shooting professional, I could learn how to hit the mark every time I aimed at it. Likewise, our inability to hit the mark in our lives is corrected through the justifying blood of Jesus Christ. Crooked thoughts and motives are straightened out by Jesus. Corrupted words and actions are purified by Jesus. Failure to live faithfully for God is renewed by Jesus. Jesus as soul instructor, always gets us back in the middle of the target.

How about you? Are you hitting life in the center of the bullseye? Or are you off the charts and flailing along with turmoil and chaos diminishing your effectiveness? It appears as though much of the world is not hitting the mark. Hamartia is running rampant and for many folks there does not seem to be a huge push toward Jesus and His redemptive power to make an old sinner into a new creation and child of God. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8, NIV)

Instead, many folks are content to keeping missing the center of the target without any concern. It's as though a general 'thumbing of the nose' toward Jesus occurs and no adjustment every takes place. While God's grace is sufficient and available to all, many folks are not willing to submit to God's authority and receive correction and training.

Instruction at a local gun range would regenerate me and correct all my bad habits when it comes to shooting prowess. Jesus and the power of his shed blood can regenerate even the foulest sinner. Evidence is already seen in the Bible and being lived out by thousands, dare I say millions of believers everyday.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all

unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NIV)

Don't be the one who has missed the mark and refuses the needed correction to get back on track.