Forgive Yourself

We are all human beings. Therefore, it is inevitable that we are going to mess up. We are going to make a mistake. We are going to sin. We are going to disappoint, fail, and let someone down somewhere in our future.

It's pretty much guaranteed.

But what do you do when you fail? Do you dwell on your mistake? Do you give up on your dream? Do you allow yourself to remain in the bondage of regret?

We serve a forgiving God. He loves us so much He sent His Son to save us from all our sins anticipating that He would forgive them. He knows that we are fallible. He knows that we will say one thing and do another. And He cares enough about us to give us another chance. With the Lord, we will always get another chance no matter what.

So, why are you beating yourself up? Why are you holding yourself back because of some mistake you made? God is willing to forgive you and move forward. Why won't you do the same?

Don't allow your past mistakes to keep you from continuing in your purpose. Don't let your disappointments keep you from building kingdom relationships.

Take your failures to the Lord, receive His forgiveness, and move forward. Turn your mistake into an experience that informs your future. Realize that you are wiser and stronger because of that event.

Today, take some time to enjoy the forgiveness of the Lord. Then, forgive yourself and move on. You're still here! You've got a lot left to do.

Verse of the Day: For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11, 12

Let the Lord All the Way In

There's a reason David asked the Lord to create in him a new heart and renew the right kind of spirit inside him. You can't do it on your own. No matter how hard you try to do things right, you will always fail. Always. Even Paul, one of the greatest leaders in the Kingdom of God, said that when he tried to do right he would do the wrong thing. (Romans 7:21) There is no way we can maintain a pure heart before God on our own.

In order to live righteously before the Lord, we have to submit all of ourselves over to His care. We have to allow the Lord to come in and fill us with His Spirit. We have to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost when He tells us things to do.

When we allow the Lord free reign with all of us, He is able to come and do a work on our inner man. He is able to form new hearts within us and renew our spirits.

Often though, we don't want to give the Lord everything. We'll give Him only so much of us. We put up boundaries to how far He can go with His transformative power.

Jesus showed us that in order to follow Him we had to give it all up. We had to have no allegiance that was greater than the one we shared with Him. When we give Jesus our all, He is able to change us into beings that reflect His grace, power, and love.

Not too many people are walking around looking, talking, and acting like Jesus. Then again, not too many people have chosen to give Him their all either.

Today, ask the Lord to come into all the spaces of your life. Allow your Heavenly Father to take full control and form you into what He knows you can be. Let go of your restrictions and boundaries and watch how God changes you into His image.

Verse of the Day: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

By the Grace of God

Yesterday, I was able to throw my two cents into a lively discussion about faith. Some folks were wondering why Christians say that they believe the whole Bible, but in some respects ignore some of the rules that God put forth in the Old Testament.

It's true. We no longer stone people for sin. Some of us don't follow the dietary laws. We don't offer up animal sacrifices. We can wear whichever fabrics we choose. There's a lot of things that were put down in the law that God gave the Israelites that we don't follow today.

Are we being hypocritical?

No.

Jesus Christ is the reason why the law no longer applies. His sacrifice on the cross ended the need for any more animal sacrifices to absolve sin. His death and resurrection instituted grace in place of rigorous rules. Because of Jesus, we don't have to worry about a laundry list of laws. Through His love, we experience an inward change and are blessed with the Father's forgiveness.

True, there are some things addressed within the law that still apply under grace. Sin is still sin in God's eyes. Yet, if we come before Him repentant and ask for forgiveness, we receive His grace and are made right with Him again.

It's so amazing what Jesus accomplished for us!

Man has a way of getting caught up in rules. We focus on what we should or shouldn't do, we judge people by what we consider to be right or wrong. But under grace, all God is looking at is our hearts. He's looking to see a love for Him and a desire to please Him.

Our Father knows that when our heart is in the right place, our actions will follow. When we desire to please Him, anything we do against Him causes us remorse and we will work to make things right.

Today, give God thanks for the grace that He has shown you. Praise your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who freed you from the curse of the law. And show someone else that same amazing grace that was shown to you.

Verse of the Day: So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. Galatians 3:11-13

Guilt Free

Guilt has a way of seeping in, popping up in odd moments, standing up in accusation against us when we least expect it. We can be on the edge of happiness, and guilt will swoop in with all the reasons why we don't deserve to smile.

Yet, Jesus' sacrifice clears us from all guilt. Because of His love, we don't have to be ashamed of anything. By coming to Him, we find forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption.

On the night when Jesus was arrested, it wasn't just Judas who betrayed Jesus. All the disciples deserted Jesus and left Him alone. (Matthew 27:56) Later, Peter adamantly denied even knowing Jesus three times. (Matthew 26:69-75)

Judas' guilt was so great that he took his own life. Peter and the other disciples more than likely felt guilt over how they had abandoned Jesus. However, when Jesus arose, He didn't make them feel guilty. He didn't condemn them for their behavior. Jesus encouraged them and showed them love and forgiveness. He didn't even mention their slight. He simply challenged them to go out and spread the Good News of His love to others.

Jesus doesn't look at you and see all the wrong you've done. He looks at you and sees all of the amazing things you can do for His Kingdom! Don't allow feelings of guilt to stop you or shame you. You've been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb! You are blameless before Him!

If God doesn't see your sin, why should you give it any place in your thoughts? We all have sinned and fallen short, but where we lacked - Jesus' grace abounded all the more! We are free from guilt and shame! Don't let it hold you captive anymore!

Verse of the Day: Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:5

Celebrate Your Freedom!

Well, the barbecues are heating up, the fireworks have been purchased, and the partiers are on their way. It's time to celebrate our nation's freedom once again!

As we celebrate the fact that we are a free country, let's also take some time to rejoice that we are free from the bondage of sin! We don't have to be held captive by the enemy anymore! Any time the devil comes with his suggestions and lies, we have the power to throw him out!

We have the privilege of being seen as righteous in the eyes of God. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, those sins we used to carry are now washed away, and we stand as pure as clean snow in the eyes of God. Amazing!

No longer do we have to be ashamed, no longer do we have to bear guilt, no longer do we have to feel like we are "less than". We are joint heirs with Christ! We, who used to be outcasts, are now called children of God!

So, enjoy the cookouts, the laughter, and the fireworks. However, in the midst of your festivities, make sure you take some time to thank Jesus for cleansing you from the detriment of sin.

Verse of the Day: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Learning From Peter

Peter is one of Jesus' more interesting disciples to me. He was the one who recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. (Matthew 16:16) Peter cut off a soldier's ear when they came to arrest Jesus. (John 18:10) Later on that same night, Peter was also the one who denied Jesus three times. (John 18:15-27) Jesus commissioned Peter then three times by asking Peter if he loved Him. (John 21:15-17)  Peter was the one who preached the first sermon after the Holy Spirit came on the early Christians. He was the leader of the apostles. (Acts 2)

We can learn so much through all of Peter's ups and downs. One thing we can learn is the power of God's redemption. Peter was known for his anger and language. Yet God was able to turn his fierceness into a passionate love for Jesus, and He molded Peter's sharp tongue into an ear-grabbing tool to lead people to the cross.

We can also see through Peter that no matter how we may mess up, Jesus is always there to forgive us. We may "deny" Him through our behavior, we may reject Him with our ways, but when we turn to Jesus with contrite hearts full of love, He is waiting to receive us again.

No matter how we may have acted before, when we fully surrender our lives to God's will, He can take us and still use us for greatness in His kingdom. Don't let your past mistakes keep you from your glory in God. Don't allow negativity to keep you from being used in the kingdom. Allow God to redeem you and mold you into a force to be reckoned with on His behalf.

Verse of the Day: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Flashbacks

All your sins are washed away!

You ever have moments where you suddenly remember something you've done in the past that makes you cringe?

Mine seem to pop up out of nowhere. At once I'm remembering my embarrassing moment and experiencing the shame, pain, and regret all over again.

These moments used to put me into a bit of a funky mood. I'd replay the scenario over and over in my head wondering just what I was thinking. I would criticize myself and shake my head at my folly.

However, lately I have taken control of my thoughts. I no longer allow flashback moments to dictate how I feel. Especially since I have repented for my sins and received God's gracious forgiveness! The Bible says that once He's granted forgiveness, He no longer remembers our sin. (Isaiah 43:25) So, why should I?

Yes, I will learn from my mistakes and work to not make them again. I will not let them hold me back from progressing forward in life. I will not carry around guilt and shame over something that Jesus' blood has released me from.

When those fleeting thoughts come and try to bring me down, I now choose to use them as a point of praise to glorify my Father who has redeemed me by His Son. Don't allow the past to hold you back. Remember that you are a new creature in Christ. Old things are done, everything is new!

Verse of the Day: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Time to Let It Go

I like to think that I get along well with most people. There are very few folks who I don't care for right off the bat, and usually those folks turn out to have issues and cause problems. I like to think that my 'inner radar' saves me from a lot of drama. When it goes off, I pay attention.

However, living as long as I have, there are some people who have done me wrong or my family or my friends. Once you do me wrong, it's hard for me to let that go. I've been working on being more forgiving and letting go of grudges - or should I say, not creating any grudges.

Every now and then, something will happen that will cause me to remember things that happened a while ago, and I'll find myself still feeling anger and resentment toward a person who did me wrong. As much as I would like to think that I've moved on, I find that I still haven't fully forgiven others.

In those times, I take a moment to pray and ask God to give me a clean heart and a right spirit. (Psalm 51:10) I also pray for the individual who I felt wronged me and ask God to bless them. (Luke 6:28) Then I lay that situation on the altar for my heavenly Father to take care of. (1 Peter 5:7)

As we continue to grow, we must make sure that we are not neglecting our roots. We must make sure that old hurts and old grudges are not holding us back from new blessings. When the Holy Spirit reminds you of an area where things aren't right - even if it happened years ago - take some time to get your heart right with God. He's not bringing it back up just for you to have a moment of reflection, He wants you to have a moment of true growth.

Verse of the Day: I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10

Pouring Water on My Dry Season

Lately I’ve been feeling a bit dry in my walk with God. Church doesn’t seem to stir my spirit, my times of prayer seem fruitless, and my Bible reading has seemed more like fulfilling a habit than a true time of feasting on the Word.

Last night I chose to put an end to it. I set apart some time and spent it before the Lord in worship. I didn’t ask for anything, I didn’t lift up any concerns, I didn’t even call out another person’s name. I simply repented of my sins and pressed into the throne room of my Heavenly Father.

Can I tell you it was a true press? It took me several minutes just to get into the frame of mind where I was fully focused on worshipping God. So many other items kept popping up in my brain. I actually had to pause and take a bathroom break. I had to get up and get a sweater because all of a sudden I was cold… So many distractions! But each time I took care of the issue and continued to press my way in. I refused to let go or give up. I was going to feel God’s presence if it would’ve taken all night!

Soon I was able to get into the mode of worship. Although I didn’t feel the total connection that I know I wanted, the Lord did speak to me. That was all of the assurance I needed. It gave me the peace and assurance that things were okay. And tonight I will be doing the same thing again. Tomorrow will still find me kneeling before His throne. I’m going to keep pressing into God’s presence daily until I feel the release that I need.

And once I get my breakthrough, I’m going to stay on the wall to avoid another dry spell like the one I’m coming out of right now. It’s one thing to go through because of issues that God allows; it’s a whole ‘nother agenda when it’s a product of complacency.

The Lord will be magnified in my life on every level!

Verse of the Day: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:10-12