On Forgiving Myself
This kitchen is a perfectionist. We are not proud of this. Because, although striving for perfectionism can be a good thing, it can also be a draining thing.
For a long time, we have bought the lie that we must always do things perfectly. Then when we don’t we feel like a failure.
Then when we feel like a failure, we get really hard on myself and heed to voices that say we are not enough. And when this happens, we go off track for a while.
And it really takes a while to get back on track. And even when we do, we keep looking back, regretting the failures of the past and wishing we had done better. We can get really hard on myself. And it is not a good thing.
We are learning to see myself the way God sees us. How does God see us? God sees us as one washed of every sin by the blood of Jesus.
He sees us as a new person. He doesn’t see us as those “failures” or regrets. He sees us as His well-loved daughter.
Also, God’s love for us is not dependent on how much we achieve. His love is constant, unchanging.
God wants us to forget past things and look forward to the new things He is doing.
“Do not remember the former things,
Isaiah 43: 18-19, NKJV
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, we will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
We will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. “
God doesn’t want us to remember the former things. He tells us not to remember them. He tells us to choose to forget them. We have to be intentional about forgetting the former things.
He also says we should not consider the things of the past. The Amplified Bible says, “or ponder the things of the past”.
Oh, how often do we waste time and negatively occupy our mind pondering over things of the past!
We should not consider the things of the past because they are not important for today. They are not necessary because God is doing a new thing.
So we are choosing to forgive myself. Our iniquity and our sin are always before us but God says we are forgiven. We believe God. We choose to see us as God sees us.
Now, this is not a pass to be complacent and live life carelessly but this is about making room for grace.
Scripture says the righteous man falls seven times and rises up seven times. (Proverbs 24:16)
This means as many times as we fall, we can rise again. Keep rising, Precious. Keep rising!
And for you reading this, keep rising! God’s mercies are new every morning. He will always forgive you. If only you will repent and turn to Him. His arms are always open wide.
God, help us to see us as you see us. Forgive us for letting the past hold us down. Deliver us from self-condemnation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
