If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
1 John 1:8-9 NLT
I used to keep a mental highlight reel of my worst offenses. At the end of even the best day, my brain could hit the replay button, and scenes of my wrongdoings would scroll across the screen of my mind. Although I confessed those sins to God and asked for His forgiveness, I couldn’t seem to forgive myself.
Then I heard something that shook me to the core: to confess a sin, repent, and then continue to ask God’s forgiveness for it multiple times (when you aren’t repeating the sin) is a form of pride. Did I believe my sins were so enormous and unique that they were beyond His ability to forgive? Despite the magnitude of God’s mercy and of the sins I know He’d forgiven, why did I act like He couldn’t handle mine?
We see divine forgiveness in King David’s story. He didn’t recognize the scope of his sin until it was exposed to him by the prophet Nathan. David repented, then followed the Lord the rest of his days, serving and honoring Him.
God is merciful and forgives even the biggest sins when we repent and follow Him.
David could have removed himself from the narrative and wallowed in his own guilt for the rest of his life. Instead, he confessed and repented before God and then led Israel as God’s chosen king for forty years.
Once I recognized how prideful it was to believe God could forgive the sins of others but not mine, I’ve never looked at myself the same way. Our difficult experiences — both the failures and the grace that covers them — can deepen our capacity for empathy toward others.
Our darkest trials can become our greatest testimonies.
God’s grace and capacity for forgiveness are beyond comprehension. When we give in to guilt and focus too much on our role as the villain in our own life story, we forget that God is the Hero who has redeemed us.
Let’s remember that we’re covered in grace. Let’s live in the freedom of His forgiveness.
Happy New year Dawn from another Dawn the other side of the world in Northern Ireland. Know if we don’t forgive ourselves or other for what they have done and ask for God to help us we will never heal. God send Jesus to forgive us for our sins. So we have to ask God to forgive us to heal for all the wrong (Sin) we had in our lives. Then ask God to help us not do it again if know what it is we have done wrong to sin. Without God’s mercy love and forgiveness we will keep on doing the same sin. God is like our parents if we as child did wrong our parents displined us in a loving way so as we not do the wrong we did when growing and they tell us because they love us. What we did was wrong and why plus we shouldn’t do it again. If they didn’t we keep on doing the wrong. God our Heavenly Father is the same. In a loving way he disciplines us and teaches us not to do the wrong again so we don’t sin. How live right for him. We through the Holy spirit leading listen to what it says and obey it. Yes it can be hard but with God’s help we get we don’t do it again. It like that with people God knows we have to forgive. If we don’t we will see them not in God’s ways and in God’s love we could end up hating them and wanting nothing to do with them. Especially if they had hurt us by the things they did. God could say I don’t have to forgive you for your wrong (Sin) but he doesn’t because he loves us. If we don’t forgive we will never get over what the person done to us especially if they were wrong they shouldn’t have. We will never forget what they did but if we forgive it will not annoy us any time we see them and we will get even if they are not saved. We can tell them we forgive them and we see them through God’s eyes and in his love that we pray for them. It hard if they have badly hurt you. I know that with a certain Family member of mine close to me. If I not told them I forgive them and God as well I be able to have anything to do with them. I have only hate for them in my heart. All that wrong in God’s eyes. I am so very glad I did as now it doesn’t annoy me but I will never forget what they did. But I can now talk to them show them the love of God and tell them because not saved I am praying for their salvation. Even if they get saved they may never say sorry for what they did. As they might not know they did wrong or remember if get saved which I want them saved. But at least in God’s eyes I done the right thing. I know God is pleased with me for doing that. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland xx
It’s the inward, heart sins that seem to grab me all the time 🙁
Dear Dawn……..Once again, this came to me at the exact time I needed it. I am redoing the book 100 Days of Strength in any Struggle. It is amazing to me how my journal comments from a year and 8 months ago have changed. I am happy to say that I have had a pretty much increase in my Spiritual Growth thanks to (in)courage and reading so many of your books. I have a very large problem concerning my 55 year old son and his wife and my ex-husband with tier 3 or4 of dementia. They both have me blocked with all communication, but the continue to send me emails that are damaging my health as it is all things they made up. It does not do anything to forgive them as they do not believe and they think that I should be in a mental institution and my son calls me all kind of names, that I would not even repeat here. I like you, spent years blaming myself when I knew I was not the cause of this mess. I finally have gotten past that, but even though I have forgiven them to God. There is one thing I cannot do and that is my heart will not forgive them. I was raped at age 21 and I ended up being pregnant. I didn’t know what to do. I was terrified to tell my parents and the date that raped me said, I will pay for you to get an abortion, we can break up and go our separate ways. That solves everything. My reply was, you may feel that it solves the problem, but there is one caveat, I am NOT getting an abortion and I said to him, you claim to be a devout Catholic and your telling me to do this? I think not!! Your words” Our darkest trials can become our greatest testimonies ” are so touching to me. It does not help though that they don’t need me to forgive them as it is all my fault. So right now I feel like I am stuck. I am 78 years old and just don’t know what else to do. I am going to pray again to God and tell Him all of this as I know He wishes that we be honest and tell everything. I am on day 75 in the book that I just love. Writing things down, really helps tremendously. So, Dawn, I thank you for your words and send my love to you for helping those of us that feel we are facing problems that cannot be solved. My Hope is with the Lord, that he can help me…………………Betsy Basile
Thank you, Dawn!
This makes perfect sense. I often beat myself up for past sins. I’m even uncomfortable sometimes around people who are aware of those sins. (That’s a whole other discussion, right?) But, if I have truly repented, I can live in God’s grace. Surely.
Love this message. Thank you for sharing this with us today Dawn.