Lent Day 28, Tuesday, Mar 16, 2021
“Forgive Yourself!”

When was the last time we forgave ourselves for a wrong we committed? Have we ever done it? If so, how long has it been since we forgave ourselves for a mistake?

Whether we committed these by accident or on purpose, we are controlled by our unforgiven mistakes, wrongs, accidents, and sins (or whatever you wish to call them). We may not think that they control us, but that’s only because we’re living in denial. We need to forgive ourselves.

Everyone makes poor choices and mistakes. Sometimes, those mistakes are made public and the consequences are significant. Other times, our bad choices are never discovered by anyone, allowing us to bury them deep, down inside.

God offers forgiveness to all people. The offer of forgiveness is not granted so that we can continue to make those same mistakes or so that we can escape the consequences of our mistakes. Rather, forgiveness is offered so that we can start again and grow into the person that God needs us to be. This process begins with forgiving ourselves. When we continue to deny ourselves of our own forgiveness, we remain chained to a past that we wish we never had.

It’s not easy to forgive oneself. It can generate bad memories and compel us to confront some monsters that we've tried to forget. But if we haven’t already forgiven ourselves for a specific issue, we need to do it. This week, we are talking about being Generous. Let’s begin by being Generous to ourselves.

Today, let's Forgive ourselves for a mess we made!

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, NLT).