Isaiah 43:18 & 19a (NLV)
“Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past. See, I will do a new thing. It will begin now.”
It’s ok to make mistakes. I, maybe, just maybe, have made like 2 or 3! Hahaha! Like, in 15 minutes, thank you very much. It’s funny, though, how we have such a difficult time releasing and letting go of our own mistakes. Forgiveness towards ourselves means we have to let ourselves off the hook. That’s a bit hard, right? For some reason, we think we deserve to sit in the guilt and shame while others around us can be free of it. Why? We are just as worthy as everyone else around us to live in complete freedom. It’s not like Jesus walks around like, ummm, a few of you peeps need to carry flaws a little longer than the rest so you can know how much it really hurts. No and no. He don’t work like that and neither should we. Many times I think we, or at least I, take the emotions that attach to what I’ve done and hang out there for a while. That guilt or shame or unworthiness hangs around my head and starts to sink a little too deep. It’s in that place, we’ve got to step back and realize, this does not define who I am. Rather, it shapes me because I can learn and grow. The best thing is, there’s new mercy every morning. It’s a new day to start fresh and allow ourselves to move forward instead of backwards into what happened before.
The past, whether yesterday or 10 years ago, can be a bugger. It can really seep into that, unforgiveness towards ourselves, place. The past really is THE PAST my friends. We’ve got to learn to leave it there. It could have been a conversation that took place, or an action that you know you should not have taken, maybe you hurt your kid or someone close, all of it, any of it, needs to be left. Now, are there times to go and apologize in order to move forward? Well, yes, and I’m pretty sure your own gut will tell you when that’s needed. But I wonder sometimes if we need to give ourselves an apology. Maybe we used some nasty words against ourselves that we shouldn’t have. Maybe we’ve tortured ourselves a little too much. Maybe we aren’t seeing ourselves through the lens of Christ. The beauty, kindness, depth, and strength that He sees. It’s time we do. Let today be a fresh day for you. Let forgiveness and freedom wash over you. Stand tall in what you’ve become and who you are becoming because without making a mistake, you wouldn’t know what kind of killer warrior you really are.
“There is no sense in punishing your future for the mistakes of your past. Forgive yourself, grow from it, and then let it go.”
Wounded to Warrior 