Forgiving Ourselves – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“‘I know that God has forgiven me, but I just can’t forgive myself,’ someone recently said to me after describing a recent period of time in his life when he had made the choice to repeatedly commit the same sin again and again. As Christians always do, he had finally reached the place where he couldn’t stand the thought of living like that for the rest of this life. So he cried out to his Deliverer and the cycle of sin was broken. The foolish behavior was now a thing of the past, but he couldn’t disconnect from it mentally and emotionally. A sense of guilt and self-condemnation was draining him of his energy, enthusiasm and joy. He wasn’t still committing the sin, but was as miserable as he had been when he was. ‘So you do believe that God has forgiven you?’ I asked. ‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘but I can’t forgive myself for what I’ve done. I’ve been a Christian long enough to know better.’ After we had talked awhile and nothing I said seemed to be sinking in, I finally asked him, ‘Do you think you’re better than God?’ ‘What do you mean?’ he asked. ‘I mean that if the blood of Christ is sufficient for God to look at you and say, ‘Forgiven,’ what will it take for you to forgive yourself? If the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for this sin you committed isn’t enough for you, what will it take? You’ve set a standard for yourself that is obviously higher than the one God has set.’”

This is a great encouragement to allow children the grace for God to change them! There is no need for guilt/drivenness. May it be so for the world.