Push the Reset Button!

We got our first video game system for Christmas this year. That’s a pretty big milestone for us. As parents of a son who was not an avid reader during his early years, we were adamant that we would never own one of those addictive things. But now that he is almost 20 years old and doing well in college, we relented and got one that would allow us all to play Guitar Hero. I think the parents wanted it as much as the kids!

You know, these games are much harder than they look! I find myself thankful that we can stop it anytime and start over! It is refreshing to go back to 0 and try again. And each time I do, it gets a little bit easier.

It reminds me of when our son was younger and we would have a bad attitude day. I’m not sure where I got the idea, but when the day was starting to go down hill, I would look at him and say, “Do we need to hit the reset button?” He would smile ashamedly and say, “Yes.” So, I would raise up his shirt in the back and pretend to search for the button and press it. That simple act would often turn the day completely around.

I’ve been thinking about these things a lot this week. The New Year brings with it a natural “resetting” for me. It is a time to look at things in a fresh light, take stock, and make some changes. If I’ve been having a bad attitude about the church, my kids, myself, my husband, whatever . . . I can mentally and prayerfully allow God to push my reset button and start over. I can decide to make things better as far as it depends on me and my own attitude and actions.

The really cool thing is that if I fail with this (and I probably will at times) I don’t have to wait until next January 1 to do it again. With Jesus, we can reset again and again when we come to him in repentance. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”