Do you feel guilt over past mistakes? Are you constantly remembering the times you have let people down?
I have felt guilt and remorse over the times I have disappointed others. This guilt has affected my current relationships because I am afraid of letting people down.
None of my friends are actually accusing me of anything; It is guilt that I am placing on myself! I have allowed Satan, the accuser, to speak lies to me. To tell me that I’m no good and that the mistakes I have made are unforgivable.
Has he been speaking the same thing to you?
If you have also suffered the overwhelming burden of guilt I have good news for you. It doesn’t have to be that way! There is a way to offload that weight. There is a way to avoid the trap of guilt and be free from the burden of shame from past failures.
Lamentations 3 tells us that God’s mercies are new every morning.
God is the God of new beginnings.
For us guilt-ridden perfectionists this verse is music to our ears. What a relief that God has abundant grace and mercy for us.
It is incredible to think that our relationship with God does not carry with it the burden of past sin. There is freshness every day. There is mercy, grace and forgiveness available daily.
How amazing is that! The most significant relationship in our lives is our relationship with God. He chooses to give us a fresh start every day in spite of what happened yesterday.
What a blessing and a gift from God that is!
He is never going to change His mind on that. God is not going to reject you and cast you aside. God has so much love for you that you cannot comprehend it.
His desire is that we come to him with our burdens, to confess where we have sinned. Jesus carried the weight of all our sin at the cross.
Because of Jesus, we are able to grab hold of the lightness of freedom.
Jesus came so that we can walk in the freshness of freedom from guilt and shame.
I know this should be pretty obvious to us but in spite of knowing this truth we often still choose to carry guilt?
This truth leaves us with a decision. We have to decide to let go of the guilt we are holding on to. We have to decide to resist Satan’s lies that see us trapped in burden. The truth is that we do deserve punishment but because of Christ we stand free from all condemnation.
Christ’s blood is enough to cover all our sin. If we choose to hold onto guilt and shame we will miss out on God’s gift of new mercies and freshness every day.
Lord,
I am sorry that I have carried the burden of guilt and shame that Jesus died to free me from. I acknowledge today that Christ’s blood was enough for me. I choose to lay all the burdens down and take up Your yolk of cleansing love and acceptance. I choose to let myself off the hook and walk in the freshness of Your freedom.
Amen
Comments