Dear Friends,
Whenever I make a selfish or sinful mistake, I end up feeling guilty for having disappointed God and others. The burden of my wrongdoing hangs over me for a while, and I sometimes find it difficult to fully confess my failings to God. Other times, I get angry with myself for making the same mistake again and feel that God cannot fully forgive me for my foolish ways. But that’s exactly what the devil wants me to think, to cut myself off from God or to feel so unworthy of God’s patience and grace that I avoid confessing my failure.
Thank God for verses in scripture like today’s that counter my abject feelings of inadequacy. God’s grace and compassion counter my grief and disappointment. God’s patience and love overcome my estrangement and isolation. Rather than wallow in my self-imposed unworthiness, I experience the liberation of God’s gracious love. I find that when God forgives me, I can also forgive myself and begin again.
Perhaps you are experiencing something similar. Maybe you’ve done something recently that you fully regret. It could be that you feel cut off from God, as well as other people. If so, then allow God’s gracious and patient love to pardon you; permit God’s compassion to free and liberate you from despair. Above all, know this: You are a child of God’s grace and always will be.
May God be with you and bless all of your loved ones with peace, hope, and love.
Pastor John
