So you can't forgive yourself...
Well,
you were never intended to all by yourself. That’s a God-sized job, and if you are
a Christ-follower, it’s already been taken care of (Psalm 103:11-12). Remember,
we live by God’s promises, not by our feelings.
There are no degrees of sin -- or of forgiveness.
Nowhere
in Scripture is there an itemized list of sins that may, or may not be
forgivable. It is the root of sin that needs forgiveness. We all have
the same fallen nature. You are not alone. God knows this and He does not want
you to suffer endless guilt and shame. If you have accepted Jesus as your
Savior, let Him BE your Savior. That is the scandal of Grace (where mercy
trumps justice).
Shift your focus away from what you did – and on to what GOD did.
As
much as you may be tempted to think that "it's all about me," it
really isn't. It's all about God. It always has been and it always will be.
Sometimes
we become so focused on ourselves that we unconsciously shift our focus away from
God and His unconditional and redeeming love for us. Keep God BIG in your
thinking and your problems will always seem smaller and more manageable.
But
if you still suffer excessively from guilt and shame, it may be that the issue
is not about your sin as much as it is about your lack of trust
that God is bigger than you are and that He is mighty enough to forgive you.
You may think you have a guilt issue, but instead, you may have a trust issue
(Proverbs 3:5).
Make your "mess" your "message."
One
way to facilitate your own healing, is to help someone else with a similar
problem. No need to give advice. Just be present and non-judgmental -- and you
may find that it is remarkably easy to feel genuine compassion for that person
(Ephesians 4:32). Can you imagine that God might actually feel that way about
you (2 Corinthians 1:3)?
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here.
I have a song for everything: "East to West" by Casting Crowns; "Because I'm Forgiven" by Phillips, Craig and Dean
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