It seems when I do something really selfish – like jump in front of someone in the McDonald’s line because “I’m in a hurry” or am not completely truthful about a situation “in order to protect someone else” or even when I’m nosey and try to find out something about someone that is none of my business, God reminds me immediately and even tries to get my attention when I’m doing it. (When will I learn to listen to that inner truth?)
The result is consistent. I am always embarrassed and hurtful. I go around with that inner dread of guilt coming back up multiple times during the day. “Forgive me”, I wail at the dawn of the day. “I am so sorry to be so unkind and selfish.”
I was reading Matthew 6: 19-24 and the lesson Jesus was teaching about money applied to my guilt!
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Well, you also can’t serve God and go around focused on your unforgiven state! You can’t do both. He SAID He forgave you – let it go! You are forgiven!
Jesus also said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?” Imagine how ‘dark’ your body is with your dragging around all that dread, sorrow and shame. You may as well be wearing sun glasses. Take them off so people can see the light of forgiveness!
The problem isn’t that God doesn’t forgive me; it’s that I can’t forgive myself! We are a forgiven people! MOVE ON. But, remember, now that we are forgiven……… we must forgive others….the ones who jump in front of us in the McDonald’s line, don’t always tell us the truth or try to find out something about us that is none of their business. That someone might be me. Please forgive me. I am a work in progress. God’s doing His best with me. And, believe me, when I make mistakes, He makes me fully aware of it. I am truly sorry and I will never stop trying to do the right thing.
There is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace through
the redemption that came by Christ.” Romans 3: 21-24 (In other words, we have all sinned but that’s OK. By God’s grace, love and kindness and through the gift of sacrifice ….. His son, he still accepts us and forgives us.)
And this one speaks for itself.
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43:25.