Let It Go

All summer I have been on this journey of finding myself and becoming a more confident me. While on this journey I've had to identify with things that I didn't really want to address. No matter what these things were they all had a central theme of personal forgiveness. Now I'm going to let you all in on something as my readers and that is that all summer I've been struggling with listening to God he's been telling me to talk about personal forgiveness and its come up in multiple settings. I think in a sense I ran from it because I had not truly forgiven myself for all of the sins I've committed even though I've asked for forgiveness. So in preparation for this blog God led me to Psalm 103...

I love how David's praise is focused on what God is doing for him but where God wrecks me are in verses 12 and 13 "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;" simple geography tells us that it is physically impossible for east and west to meet, they are in two different directions, this is just like God's forgiveness. When he forgives our sin he forgets it. We as humans always want to bring back up the past but God has already wiped our slate clean! When we forgive ourselves we must wipe the slate clean. Do not wallow. LET IT GO. It only makes life harder.  Remember that God is like a father he loves is so much that we don't need to be hard on ourselves. Yes we are fragile but his care as a father is eternal he deals with us compassionately all that is required if us is TRUST! 

I believe it is clear that failing to forgive ourselves from our past mistakes is denying the work of the cross and the shed Blood of Christ in our life. When God's Word tells us that we've been washed clean with the Blood of Christ, and our sins are removed through the atoning work that Jesus did for us... yet we still "could kick ourselves" for our mistakes, then we are basically saying, "I don't care what the Blood of Jesus has done, I still hate myself for what I've done!" It's silly to think such a thing, but that is what really happens when we refuse to forgive ourselves. Allow God to heal your soul! You need to let God heal you... as long as you keep holding something against yourself, you are blocking God's power from entering and healing that area of your mind and life! You need to open up your heart, and allow the light of Christ to shine into the darkness of your soul.

I think about the story of the woman at well...her story is so powerful. How Jesus tells her everything about herself and makes sure that she knows that she is forgiven. I find myself being able to identify with this woman. Carrying so much that I forget that God and Jesus love me. They love me for my flaws and insecurities but encourage that self forgiveness so that I can be whole. Whew. That woman left that well whole with the love of Christ in her heart. Nothing mattered at that point except his love. 

God has already forgiven you. God has already freed you, no need to walk around ashamed because the debt as already been paid. Remember that you are already forgiven, God is gracious enough to receive you just as you are. Never allow anyone to tell you differently. LET IT GO and smile because you are redeemed my friend. Forgiven and redeemed.