By: Josanne Anthony, SAVED News Correspondent
“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” Psalm 32:5
Our Savior knew that we would make mistakes while walking with Him. Many, many mistakes. Sometimes, it’s a slip-up from our old ways. Sometimes it’s an attitude we know is wrong but are having a hard time shaking.
And then there are other times where we fall. Flat on our faces. We fall hard.
Continually, we are reminded of the scriptures that give the mandate to forgive others for how they’ve wronged us. We know it is our responsibility to give mercy to others, and we work hard to sincerely forgive.
Whether a person deserves forgiveness or not, God knows that harboring bad feelings in our hearts affects us, whether it impacts the other person at all. Having a seed of bitterness grow within us will taint all things good that God intends for our lives as Christians.
As we strive to offer true forgiveness to others, we need to remember one person we often overlook in our extensions of mercy: ourselves.
Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” We must remember that this message applies to each of us as much as it applies to the sinner who has only just been introduced to our loving God.
Our shortcomings have never taken God by surprise.
Maybe it is our shortcomings that actually take us by surprise. When we truly repent, that is, feeling remorse for our wrongdoing, asking forgiveness, and turning away from repeating the offense, God forgives us.
Rather than bitterness growing within us when we don’t forgive others, feelings of failure and worthlessness grow within if we don’t forgive ourselves. It’s important to realize where these feelings will take us. The discouragement that leads us away from God can destroy us when we don’t accept forgiveness for ourselves.
Forgiveness is ours today. Let us embrace it for ourselves and count ourselves among those to who we’ve offered mercy.
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