Well, hey, everyone, welcome to today's episode of the weekday podcast. And we want to talk about a version of forgiveness that almost never makes it to the Sunday morning sermon. But honestly, it might be the most important kind of forgiveness of all, and it's actually forgiving yourself. So let me ask you what might be a hard question. Have you been carrying shame longer than God has asked you to? Have you been carrying shame longer than God has asked you to? Now, we know in our heads that God forgives us, but sometimes our hearts. Honestly, they haven't gotten the memo. The Bible says in First John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us. Now, that's an actual promise. But what I found is that even after forgiveness, we rehearse the guilt. I think that's true. We say things like, well, how could I have done that? Or if they really knew me, they wouldn't respect me. Or, I ruined my chance and I blew it. What I want to say is that's not actual conviction. That's condemnation. And Romans 8:1 says, There is none of that in Christ. So my question is, why do we hold on to what God has let go of? I mean, think about that. Why do we hold on to what God has already let go of? Here's what I've learned. Forgiving yourself is part of actually receiving God's grace. And so I just want to give you some practical ways to think about. How do you forgive yourself? Some of these might hit you more close to home than others, so your mileage may vary. Find the thing that helps you. Number one, consider writing a letter to your past self. Like, just be honest. Acknowledge what happened, and then write, I forgive you. I release you. God's grace covers even this. It's amazing a simple exercise like that can help bring closure to some people. A second practical thing is to ask it in prayer. Say, God, would you show me what you see when you look at me? God, would you show me what you see when you look at me? And here's the spoiler alert. He sees you as his child. He doesn't see you as a failure, as your mistakes, as your sin. He sees you as his child. And then, number three, maybe even say it out loud. Just remind yourself, I don't have to keep punishing myself for what Jesus already paid for. I don't have to keep punishing myself for what Jesus has already paid for. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, but it does mean releasing. And sometimes the person you most need to release, well, honestly, that's mostly you. And so today, let's pray. Let's ask God and ask him to do that inside of us. Jesus, thank you that your grace is big enough to cover our past. Help us to live like people who are truly forgiven. Help us to let go of shame. It's in your name we pray. Amen. Have a great day.
