So often in life, we cry out for a second chance! It may be mistakes we made at work, in our marriage, or even in the study course we’ve chosen, or the field of work we finally are in, “If only we get a second chance,’ we cry out, sometimes bitterly.

Most often, we do get that second chance, and maybe a third and fourth and even a fifth chance blowing each one up and getting back to that place of despair.

Last Sunday, I spoke about a fig tree and this Sunday, I’m going to go back to another fig tree, but this one mentioned in a parable by Jesus to the crowd following him: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Study those verses carefully, now put yourself in place of the fig tree. Do you realise that you are here on earth to bear fruit? Fruit that can be had by others, I mean you’ve never heard of a tree that eats its own fruit, have you? In case that’s what you are doing!

So, there you are, living a life that is not useful to others, and there comes your Creator to see how useful His creation, that’s you, has been to others of His creation and finds you living a very selfish life. “Cut it down! Why should he use up the soil!” says your Creator.

“No not yet,” begs the Man who died on the cross for you, “Give him a second chance!”

Are you living that second chance? Doing exactly what you did previously in your first chance?

Something I loved watching in my college days was watching the Amritraj brothers who were my seniors in college, playing tennis. They took risks with their first serve, but with the second serve they were careful. I would watch Vijay Amritraj, or his brother Anand give the most ferocious first serve which quite often terrified their opponent but if that serve went wild or hit the nets, their second serve was careful, deliberate and went with a sense of purpose.

If today you are living your second chance, and being given the opportunity of a second serve, then use it well, because God your referee waits to see how well you serve..!