Forgiving Yourself

I grew up studying in a religious school. My parents were respected in our small town. They were kind, generous, and accommodating. I looked up to them, and I loved helping the needy. However, I did something terrible when I was a teenager. I ended up bullying a poor classmate of mine. She was silent as a lamb. She did not retaliate. I did not see her angry. I was not aware that I was already bullying her. I just thought I was making fun of her. One day, I came to realize that what I did was wrong. I realized I was hurting and shaming her. I was guilty of bullying. I was troubled and upset by what I had done. I realized I was being insensitive and narrow-minded. That hit me hard in my conscience. Regret followed me, and I was not at peace. Joy left me. I said to myself, “I should not have done that. I am not perfect, but I am compassionate, or so I thought.” Even after acknowledging that I had bullied someone, it was hard for me to forgive myself. What do you do when you mess up? Come to Jesus. God knows everything about you—including everything you’ve done wrong—and He loves you. No matter what you’ve done, He wants to forgive you. When Jesus, God the Son, died on the cross, He took the punishment our wrongdoing (or sin) deserves. Then He rose from the dead, beating sin and death forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins have been dealt with. God does not condemn us. So we do not need to condemn ourselves. Instead, we can come to Jesus, confess what we’ve done, and rest in His complete forgiveness. God does not want us to be trapped in regrets and negative feelings. He helps us realize our sins so that we can confess them and live in His good ways instead. And He gives us the power to do so through the Holy Spirit. He will help us move forward. He will bring healing and make us whole again. • Golda Dilema • Do you ever have a hard time forgiving yourself? In moments like these, come to Jesus. • In Psalm 32, David describes how awful he feels after doing wrong. But when he confesses his sin to God, he is set free from guilt! Then David talks about how God shows us the way to go. When we do wrong, God might call us to do something to make it right, such as apologizing. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern what to do after you mess up? “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18a (NLT)

Read Verses:

Psalm 103:10-Psalm 103:11; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:34; Isaiah 1:18