Church Worker Wellness – Week 53 devotion: Spiritual wellness

“Building Up the Body: Worker-to-Worker” is a series of church worker wellness devotions. Visit lcms.org/wellness for more resources.

By David E. Ficken, pastor and emergency services chaplain

Accident forgiveness

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps. 103:12 NIV)

“Accident Forgiveness” is the latest marketing tool to attract customers to a certain car insurance company.

What a great concept! People mess up. We’re not perfect.

I would imagine there are people who have never had accidents, but I am not one of them, unfortunately. A fair number of people have also dreaded their next insurance bill after an accident as well. It is no fun when insurance rates increase.

So why wouldn’t we jump at the chance to get a freebie without the added stress and worry of yet another insurance expense?

The question begs — is this really too good to be true? Isn’t someone going to pay sometime? Who knows what’s behind all the risk calculations the company makes in order to offer a program like this?

The insurance company can offer kindness to people who have been in accidents, but they can’t forgive everything, or they’d no longer be in business, right?

Let’s hope they’re around for the duration. Let’s hope they have found the sweet spot between giving a break and not going under.

Thankfully, God offers us real accident forgiveness in Christ Jesus because I’ve had accidents.

I’m not talking about car accidents but those accidents where the scene is horrific because of my sin — omission, commission and every nasty thing in between.

I need assurance that God’s forgiveness is not some marketing ploy just to get my attention or business. I need to know that God’s forgiveness is totally different from this world’s and, yes, even out of this world.

The psalmist gives us this assurance in Ps. 103:12. These words bear repeating:

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps. 103:12 NIV)

Church workers are called to help people through the day-to-day accidents and the tragic accidents they face in life, whether it is of their own making or not.

People need the healing assurance of forgiveness God offers through His Son Jesus. They also need help and support to deal with the consequences from the accidents, while the promise of real and true accident forgiveness remains through our loving Father.

I pray you know God’s love and forgiveness for you. I pray God uses you to be the word of forgiveness to someone today.

Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for giving me accident forgiveness. Thank you for not keeping a record that will show up on some future bill. Use me, Lord, to share your forgiveness with the world. In Jesus I pray, Amen.

“Building Up the Body: Worker-to-Worker” devotions and prayers will be released Monday mornings on the LCMS Facebook and Twitter pages. Church Worker Wellness devotions will also be archived online.

LCMS church workers and their families are invited to offer encouragement to other workers and families by submitting a 500-word devotion for the Synod’s worker-to-worker wellness devotion series. Email questions and submissions to workerwellness@lcms.org.