Lent Day 20, Monday, March 9, 2026

“Forgive Yourself”

As we begin a new week of Lent, let’s address something many of us quietly carry for far too long. Today’s Lenten challenge is to forgive yourself.

All of us have moments in our past that linger. Decisions we wish we could undo. Words we wish we had never spoken. Actions that still echo in our memories. Often, those memories limit how we see ourselves and what we believe God might still be able to do through us.

You know what your issue is. I know what mine is. Today is a good day to place those burdens in God’s hands.

One of the most frequent topics in pastoral counselling is forgiveness. Forgiving others can be incredibly difficult, yet many counselors agree that forgiving ourselves can be even harder. Sometimes the lack of self-forgiveness becomes so deeply embedded that we do not realize how much it shapes our mindset and decisions.

The season of Lent exists because of the forgiveness God offers through Jesus Christ. One sacrifice opened the door of grace for the entire world. No matter who we are, no matter where we have been, God’s mercy reaches us.  Even when we knowingly make mistakes, God’s forgiveness remains available. This truth reveals something powerful about God’s character and something equally powerful about God’s love for us.

So today’s challenge is simple but meaningful: Forgive yourself.  Bring that lingering regret to God in prayer. Lay it at the foot of the cross. Release the weight you have been carrying.

Let God be God. Allow grace to do its work so you can move forward as the person God created you to be.

“How far has the Lord taken our sins from us?  Farther than the distance from east to west!”  (Psalm 103:12, CEV)