Sin has the potential to lock us into a pattern.

At first, remorse and shame hit us pretty quickly. We could turn at this point, but too often we convince ourselves that what we’ve done is minimal, usually comparing ourselves to someone else.

This gets easier each time.

Soon enough, that area of sin becomes habitual, God seems distant and forgiveness seems difficult to attain.

In Luke 7, we find a woman whose sins were many.

Though we don’t exactly know what her lifestyle entailed, people obviously had some knowledge of who she was and what she was all about.

“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (7:37-38)

The homeowner is shocked that Jesus would allow such a filthy woman touch him. Nevertheless, Jesus uses this opportunity to teach a lesson on forgiveness.

“‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.” (7:41-43)

The woman understood how grave her situation was and how large her debt was. Jesus offers her what she so deeply longed for:

“Your sins are forgiven.” (7:48)

Regardless of the amount of time our pattern of sin has taken hold of, the best time to turn back to Christ is now.

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Have you been stuck in a rut, struggling with an area of sin? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you neglecting to return to where God is calling you?