Moving On

Why bother? a small voice whispers, You’re only going to fail again.

The voice haunts me mid-prayer. Discouragement sinks in and, suddenly, God feels incredibly far away.

I’m sure we can all relate to the burden of shame either from our past or present. Moving away from it can feel like an impossible feat.

I’m just too far gone.

There has never been a more false lie, and to be honest, you are not that powerful! God is greater than everything. Anything in this world — all sins included — crumbles at the foot of the cross. The King of kings is so much stronger than the shame you carry, but Satan likes to try and convince you that somehow your sin is still greater than the power of the cross.

Why would God want to do anything with me? or I’ve fallen back into my sin, why should God forgive me this time?

When we become children of God, he takes our shame and replaces it with his honor, his glory, and his love. It doesn’t mean the consequences of our sin don’t still remain, but in his book, our sins are crossed out.

Every day, his mercies are new. Does this give us permission to go out and sin, using his love as a “get out of jail free” card? No. Does it give us permission to put down our shame and forgive ourselves? Yes.

God’s forgiveness knows no bounds and while it may take a while to forgive yourself, if you are trusting in Jesus, know that he’s already forgotten and wiped your slate clean.

God, thank you because when I decided to trust and follow Jesus, you looked at me as if I was a brand new person. Jesus became sin so I could become his righteousness. Wow. I praise you, Lord, and ask for your Holy Spirit’s help today to free me from the weight of shame that I carry. I pray that I would not give in to the devil’s lies and know that your mercy has truly made me new. Amen.

Additional Resource: Dealing with the problem of sin and guilt can be a struggle. If you are plagued by guilt, it can really help to talk about it. Read more.