Today I want to begin sharing with you 10 reasons you should forgive yourself.
Reason 1 - God wants you to forgive.
This is a commandment. It’s a sin against God not to forgive yourself and when you don’t, it steals your peace. R.T. Kendall made a profound statement, “We forgive in proportion to how we love; we withhold forgiveness in proportion to how we hate.” God did not create us to hate ourselves. The most natural thing in the world is to love ourselves. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” Ephesians 5:29 KJV
It is good to know that our failings do not take God by surprise. He not only understands us through and through, but He also knows the end from the beginning. After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus suddenly appeared in a room behind locked doors where the disciples had gathered and were fearful, and feeling very, very guilty. Jesus had a word for them that must have overwhelmed them: John 20:21, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” What? Wait a minute. You mean to tell me after all that happened, that’s all He said to them? No demoralizing, no shaming them, no making them feel guilty. Not a word. Just “peace be with you.” It was as though nothing had happened! Jesus merely picked up where He left off ! And who was the preacher on the day of Pentecost, preaching the opening sermon of the church? Peter! He was a forgiven man. Had Peter not felt forgiven, he would not have been able to stand boldly before thousands of Jews as he did!
The anointing of the Spirit comes on a person like that who is not only forgiven but who has also forgiven himself. Instead of adding salt to your wounds, rubbing your nose in your shame, and making you “pay” with greater guilt for your failure, He says to you, “As the Father sent me, so I’ll send you. Strengthen your brothers and sisters. Teach transgressors my ways.”
Susan Bolinger - Bloom Ladies Ministry
