Forgive Yourself

John 3:17 (KJV) Says "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."

Many people get the idea that God condemns, and in their minds that is what He becomes known for. Believing that to be true, they avoid Him.  As the above scripture tells us condemning people is not at all what God desires, rather He desires that the world be saved through His Son. In many cases  people ask forgiveness for their sins, and then fail to trust that God has truly forgiven them. Instead, they think He's up in heaven sitting on ready, and more than eager to condemn them for sins they  themselves have deemed unforgivable.  I've had people tell me that they ask God to forgive them of their sins, but they can't believe He actually forgave them because they're sins are numerous, and far worse than anyone else's. The problem with these people is not that God has not forgiven them, it's that they haven't forgiven themselves.

If you have gone to God in prayer, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins He has forgiven you.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) Says "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." God does not have a list of sins that He forgives, and a list of sins that He doesn't.

There are also people who think they have strayed to far away from God for Him to hear and forgive  them, when they pray. Don't ever think this way because it is absolutely not true. You can never stray so far from God that when you turn back to him in prayer He doesn't hear you. That is just another way that people are deceiving themselves, and or allowing Satan to deceive them. In Matthew 7:7 (KJV) Jesus says "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." No matter how far away you've strayed He is there waiting for you to return to Him.

Psalm 103:12-14 (KJV) Says "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust." This scripture tells us that not only does God forgive us of our sins, but He removes them far from us. It reminds us that God is our Father and that He has pity on us, when we make mistakes. It also tells us that He is well aware we are only human.

If you are someone who struggles with believing that God has forgiven you, then I urge you to stop torturing yourself immediately. Knowing that God's Word is truth, refer to the above scripture and commit to memory that if you ask God to forgive you of your sins, and you turn away from them He will forgive you. Not only will He forgive you, but the fact that you repented and turned to God will be celebrated in heaven. Luke 15:10 (KJV) Says "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

If you are someone who feels God doesn't hear you, that your sins are to great to be forgiven, or that you have strayed so far away from God that there's no turning back, let those thoughts go immediately. God loves you and forgives you of your sins, when you go to Him in prayer and simply ask. He is not anxious to condemn you, but rather eager for you to repent and turn again to Him from wherever you're at. God is understanding, forgiving, loving, kind, merciful, and so many other wonderful things. Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) Says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." God is not eager to condemn you. He wants you to have a life filled with joy and His divine peace. Don't waste another second  beating yourself up over past sins, and mistakes that God has already forgiven you for. Forgive yourself and move forward living the joyous, divine peace filled life God desires for you to live.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.