When we talk about forgiveness you think about all the people in your life that have hurt you in the past and how you should forgive them. Then there is forgiving the people in your life, as you walk through, that will need forgiveness immediately. This is just a way of life, and a way of life that we are called to walk by our Lord Jesus.
But I think that there are many of us that are walking around in Unforgiveness, even if we try to work out the pain of the past and in the day-to-day. The Unforgiveness I’m speaking of is forgiving ourselves for past sins.
We’re taught that if we bring our sins to the Lord Jesus and confess them to Him, He will forgive us all of our sins. No argument there. This is basic Christianity 101. But how many of us hide our past? How many of us keep sins and strife in our heart and we don’t share it with the Lord or a counselor or pastor at our church. How many of us don’t want these sins to see the light ever, ever again? We think we are hiding them in our heart so no one will see what we were or where we have come from. The Lord Jesus sees them and in the meantime these sins still effect every aspect of our lives, bleeding out at the most horrible times. We’ll mask these effects by saying, “Oh, that’s just the way I am” and try to brush off the horrible-ness of the action.
We’ll take these things to the Lord, ask for forgiveness and then turn around and take them back! We think this is something the Lord could never forgive, or that we aren’t worthy and we walk away while the Lord is there, waiting and loving us. It’s so hard to learn that the Lord Jesus loves us and will forgive ALL of our sins. We need to learn to take it ALL to Him and lay it at His feet and LEAVE it there.
I’m writing about this because this is one thing that I struggle with. Bringing the really, really secret parts of myself to the Lord and LEAVING it there. Being free of the garbage that has built up over all these years. Yes, I read the confession every Sunday at church. Yes, I hear the pastor saying that I’m now forgiven of all my sins. Wow, is it so hard to make it a reality. My head knowledge about forgiveness is all there. I truly need to learn to leave it at my Saviour’s feet and walk away feeling lighter.
Lutheran Ladies Connection 