The worst part for me is the distance I feel between myself and God after the event. But even if we give up on ourselves, God doesn't give up on us. As long as we're not blasé about our sins, and are truly remorseful, repent and ask forgiveness, there's no way God would give up on us. He knows how weak we really are. And He can see just how sincere we truly are.
Just like God never truly gave up on Israel, so He will never give up on you. No matter how much, or how many times we can turn our backs to God in sin, there's nothing that can stop His love from reaching out to us -- if we will let it reach us. He is bigger than your sin, and bigger than your failings. His love is always big enough to bridge the gap you made.
Run back into your Heavenly Daddy's arms. Often, our own guilt holds us back -- as if we won't allow ourselves to be forgiven because of what we have done. God can change you; we can't change ourselves. Go to Him and let Him do that work.
Thanks Mel! It's so easy in times we fall that God is so merciful, immensely gracious, kind and indescribably forgiving. So often we forget that when we mess up and feel like we could never come back to Him. That's one thing they taught in Bible College how one of the saddest, most heartbreaking statements in the entire bible was God the Father, walking through the garden calling "Adam, where are you?"... where are you my son, where have you gone my dear daughter... God knew exactly where they were hiding - for He is omniscient - yet our Heavenly Father said this to depict how as humans we run away from him when we sin, hiding in shame and our own brokenness when all the while He is waiting, even willing us to run back to Him, not away from him, for He alone is the answer. He is the forgiveness we need, the restoration, the redemption, the Love that covers a multitude of our sins, the way we can rise again.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, around years 16-21 when I started getting really serious for God used to always beat myself up so much even over silly mistakes through the day or times I could have done something better. I thought if I was so brutal on myself for that mistake or sin it would make it count and I would in a way crush it out. In retrospect, that asian mentality didn't work at all. The far better way is God transforming us on the inside, His grace energising and compelling us out of gratitude and love for His forgiveness to rise again and try not because we're scared of stuffing or failing Him up but because we are so free in His unfailing, unbreakable Love. That allows us to freely love our Redeemer so intensely, without borders, for already forgiving us and always loving us; accepting us with arms open wide that we literally want to do all we can because we love and adore God, for He is that kind and worthy! How sad to think a Loving Father was watching me from Heaven all those years of being so brutal on myself and self condemnation when He says in Romans 8:1 that "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. "
The fact is, those times I was so hard on myself, Jesus had already paid in full for all my mistakes and wanted to forgive me and pick me up in His arms to try again. I know now that He was just wishing I would take freely of the Grace, the unmerited favour and forgiveness that He had, for that was the entire reason Our Merciful Saviour Jesus chose willingly to die for us in our place.. to give us another chance, to give us hope and redemption. He is a God who loves being kind, generous, gracious! Our God is definitely in the restoration business - He rescues us from who we are to allow us to become who we could be in His arms wide open of Forgiveness and Mercy!
Thanks for the great reminder sis!