Forgiving Yourself

Do you know the feeling of being haunted by a situation you can’t seem to let go of? Perhaps you betrayed a colleague to get ahead, or you argued with someone you cared about and never got the chance to apologize because that person passed away suddenly. Such memories can linger, causing us to question whether God’s forgiveness truly applies to us. We want to let go of the burden, yet can’t shake the feeling that we deserve to feel guilty.

Maybe there’s a moment in your past that feels unforgivable to you. But no matter how great or small your guilt may be—Jesus went to the cross to pay for all our mistakes. Jesus endured mockery, spitting, and beating so that we could nail our guilt to the cross and live in the freedom He promises us.

So why is it so important to Jesus that we forgive others and ourselves? Without forgiveness, we carry a weight too heavy for us, one that will ultimately break us. Our inability to forgive ourselves can even prevent us from fulfilling the calling God has for us. Jesus may have called us to comfort and encourage others, but how can we uplift others if we are crushed by our own guilt?

Forgiveness—including self-forgiveness—is essential to experiencing the freedom and grace Jesus offers. It means releasing the burden that weighs us down and realizing that God’s grace is greater than any guilt. God sees our hearts and knows that no sin is too severe for Him to transform into a blessing. We might feel we don’t deserve God’s forgiveness, and it’s true that we can’t earn it. But God’s love is a gift we can neither win nor lose. Jesus stands before us with His hand always extended, ready to lift us up again. But to take His hand, we must look up, meet His gaze, and forgive ourselves.

Next Step: Is there a situation in which you feel so ashamed of your actions that you believe you don’t deserve forgiveness? Are you willing to let the Holy Spirit show you His perspective on this situation and what He has prepared for you?