Is there something in your life that you truly regret? Something that sneeks up from time to time and interrupts the journey your on? Puts a road block, a huge pothole, or even a detour sign in your daily life?
Its happened to me. I have regrets. Some big, some small. The ones I could deal with, I have, and the ones I could not, I've just had to let go of. I have asked for forgiveness from God, the people I may have hurt, and most importantly, from myself.
So I know that you might be saying to yourself, "forgive yourself?" Yes, forgive yourself. Its just as important, if not the most important part of moving past that mistakes you have made and finding healing from the damage it may have caused. It may have been as little as telling your boss you were sick when you really were not, or as big as taking something that did not belong to you or worse.
The thing we need to remember, no matter the sin, God will always forgive us when we repent and ask for forgiveness. We can't control whether others will forgive us, but thats between them and God. The one we find it hardest to forgive is ourselves. We forget that when we forgive ourselves, we allow a healing that only God can bring, to seep into every part of our lives. A healing that refreshes our souls and gives us the rest we need from the burden the unforgivness becomes.
Think about this. When we don't forgive ourselves, God cannot forgive us. I had never thought about this until I was studying forgivness and came across the verse in Mark 11:26. It reads, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."
Now you might want to argue that God was only referring to forgivness in regards to others, but it states in the verse clearly that if you do not forgive, it does not say if you do not forgive others. This means forgivness includes onself. Profound right?
So how do I forgive myself? How do I find a way to let go of all the negative I feel about myself or something I think I may have done wrong? This is a very good question and one I will address.
My background always made be feel like the things I'd done were so bad, that even God couldn't forgive me. There was no way He could love a sinner like me, but that just isn't true. I have read the Bible and as we all know in John 3:16 it states that God sent His Son into this world for the sins of all mankind. This means for our forgiveness. It didn't say only small sins, but the ones that seem unforgivable.
Jesus on the cross even asked His Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. Do you think yourself better than Christ? Do you think you know more than God? Well my friend, you don't and neither do I that is why we cannot withhold forgiveness from others or ourselves. When we do this, we tell God that we think we know better than He does. He forgave sins that we as humans could possibly never forgive, but in doing so taught us how to forgive.
That brings it back to forgiveness of self. We may some really big regrets. Some sins that just feel unpardonable. But remember, God already know about these sins and the regret we carry around with them. The baggage of these sins can weigh us down without us even realizing how heavy they are and how much they affect our lives.
I'm here to tell you to lay that burden down. Leave that baggage behind. Lay it all at the foot of the Cross and don't pick it up again. God eagerly waits to forgive you, now you just need to forgive yourself!!!
Heavenly Father,
You love us just as a good Father should. You want a better life for us. You know our every thought and deed. Reach down and help us to understand that true healing comes when we forgive, not only others, but ourselves as well Help us to realize we need to forgive ourselves in order to move on the best life you have for us. Father, help the healing to begin in each person who needs this today. We love You Lord and thank you for the healing that is coming our way.
AMEN!!!
