How to forgive yourself

“I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 NKJV

God says in His Word, “I…am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted” (vv. 25-26 NKJV). Today if you’re condemning yourself because you think your sins are too big to merit God’s grace, go back and reread those scriptures carefully. Why did God say He would forgive your sins? “For My own sake.” So what should you do? “State your case, that you may be acquitted.” Why do we have such a hard time accepting God’s forgiveness? (1) Because in some cases we feel like we’re reaping what we have sown. (2) Because we have condemned someone else for doing the very thing we ourselves did. (3) Because we think God likes to keep us twisting in the wind for a while so we will think twice before committing the same sin again. (4) Because growing up, when we disobeyed our parents, they took away certain privileges until we had proven ourselves. (5) Because we think we have to be “worthy” of God’s mercy. But when you refuse to forgive yourself, you’re implying that your transgressions are beyond the scope of God’s grace. And that’s a bigger sin—pride! And here is another thought. When you always have “issues” with other people, you may be looking for someone to offend you. That way, you can point to how bad the other person is and feel better about yourself. When you adopt a humble attitude and work on forgiving yourself because you know God has exonerated you, it’s easier to forgive other people’s mistakes.

Bible in a year: Exodus 7-8 and Matthew 15:1-20