My desktop computer had become quite sluggish in its performance and threatened too cause some real problems for my attitude. Staring at what is called  the "spinning beach ball of death" for more than ten seconds seemed more like ten minutes in the blazing fast world of computer time. This called for drastic measures like cyber-disk doctoring. 

In went the diagnostic disk and after many hour of checking volumes, analyzing cache, and optimizing files the dread beach ball still dominated the screen. I don't know if anyone really knows what causes these malfunctions from deep within the hidden codes of computer memory and files. But with computers "it" just happens. The result is a implication that brings ones productive life to a standstill. Forward process declines. A sad but true commentary on modern life tethered to complicated technology.

There was one solution I knew would work. Out came another repair disk and up popped the command "erase disk". Knowing that all the data on the drive would be forever gone, along with whatever pesky bug caused the malfunction, I paused and then pushed the command. Within seconds the disk was erased and another command screen popped up with the welcoming message, "Hit restore"? With eager alacrity I pushed the restore button and the operating system began to download. I was on my way to a restored, functioning computer. The spinning beach ball no longer appeared. Life with this computer is now good.

Ever want to push a button and "hit restore" in your life at the times its gets sluggish and unresponsive–when you hit the point when life just isn't working the way its supposed to? Sure you do. There are times when we all need to erase our personal "life-disks" and hit the restore button. The bugs of anger, envy, discouragement, and resentment need to be zapped from our memory and erased from off our hard drives. These, along with all the other issues of life that drag us down, keep us from moving forward with positive emotions and productive lives.

Judah's King Hezekiah faced off against these emotions when he was at the point of death and "turned his face toward the wall" in prayer to God (Isaiah 38:2). After sorting it all through and receiving God's answer the king hit upon a godly philosophy to:

"walk carefully all my years in the bitterness of my soul…by these things men live; and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so You will restore me and make me live. Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back" (verses 15-17).

We live with unrequited emotions that push against the righteousness nature God wants to place within our hearts. When we come to understand that bitterness and the pits of corruption can be thrown off we can then find peace. God throws all our sins behind His back. When do we decide to leave them there? When do we decide to throw the sins of others, often committed agains us, behind our back and move on? Only when we do can we find peace of heart and mind. 

Is it time for you to "hit restore" and remove the "spinning beach ball of death" from your life?