Spiritual guidance powered by AI and grounded in Scripture
Your Question:
Can I ever forgive myself for not seeing this coming?
Answer:
As a pastor, I've seen many people struggle with unforgiveness and self-blame. It's a heavy burden to carry, but I want to remind you that God offers forgiveness on His terms, not ours. When we hold onto unforgiveness, we become imprisoned by our own anger and resentment. It's not about forgetting what happened, but about not holding it against the person who wronged us. You may feel like you're not worthy of forgiveness, but that's not up to you. It's up to God to decide what we deserve, and He has already shown us that He forgives us through the cross of Jesus Christ. As the psalmist wrote, if he could speak with such hope before Jesus came, how much more can we, who have witnessed the cross, speak with such hope? We are offered forgiveness, and it's ours to accept. When it comes to forgiving ourselves, it's a different story. We often think that forgiving ourselves means we're being nice to ourselves, but that's not the case. Forgiving ourselves means letting go of the guilt and shame we've placed on ourselves. It's not about thinking ourselves nice, but about recognizing that we are forgiven by God and that our self-love shouldn't be based on our own worthiness. As Jim said, "It is humbling to ask someone's forgiveness. It is against our nature. It is definitely hard." But it's worth it, because forgiveness sets us free from the bondage of unforgiveness.
Sources:
depression
edward welch
meaning of marriage
timothy keller
power of a praying parent
stormie omartian
addictions a banquet in the grave
edward t welch
introduction biblical ethics
robertson mcquilkin
mere christianity
c s lewis
jesus on trial
david limbaugh
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