Forgiving Yourself

Day 26

As difficult as it is to forgive others, I find it more challenging to forgive myself. Every once in awhile (or more often than that) my mind tracks back to mistakes I've made and I find myself ashamed and saddened. But there's simply no need for those emotions to bubble to the surface because God has forgiven me of my sins. In 1 John 1:19 we learn that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Possibly even more convicting is Hebrews 10:17 which states, " Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." If God forgets about our sins, why can't we? One of our purposes on this earth is to practice Christ-likeness, and if He remember our sins no more, once we've confessed, then shouldn't we allow ourselves the same grace? Christ died a brutal death on the cross for THIS purpose, that we have the opportunity to be absolved of our sins, as believers in Him. Let's honor His sacrifice for us as we learn to forgive ourselves. Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, He has removed our transgressions from us." If your sins are so far removed from you that they might as well be sitting on the opposite side of the world, then let them remain there. Do not drag that weight anymore. Leave it at God's feet. 

40 Day Challenge--Day 26

Forgive yourself, finally! Spend time in prayer with God asking him to lead you in confessing your sins and forgiving YOURSELF, once and for all. We each have sins we wish we could remove from our past; we cannot wash ourselves clean of them, but God can! Allow Him to do so. If you struggle with self-forgiveness, I encourage you to memorize Bible verses on the topic, which you can instantly recite in moments of weakness to remind yourself of God's amazing grace.