When you need to forgive yourself

You and I live in an imperfect world. Sin and death have entered this fallen creation, which is no longer perfect and not even good. Each of us has done wrong. We make mistakes. We are not perfect. We are all sinners saved only by the grace of Jesus Christ. Many of us have regrets. Regrets for things we did and regrets for things we did not do. When you hang onto those regrets you give the enemy a tool to attack and defeat you.

1) Confess to Jesus Christ – 1 John 1:⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Tell Jesus Christ what you did, why you did it and that you know it was wrong

Ask His forgiveness – He won’t punish, ridicule or be surprised. His love is unconditional!

Receive His forgiveness and His cleansing

Be thankful for your Savior

• Accept that your debt has been paid in full -Colossians 2:¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

¹⁷ Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

• Be Humble

Remember who you are – Psalms 103:¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

¹⁴ For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

¹⁶ For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

Paul’s example –Philippians 3:¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Remember whose you are- Romans 8:¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Remember Jesus Christ’s purpose for you – Romans 8:²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

• Trust Jesus Christ to work the situation for good –Romans 8:²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his

Is your inability to forgive yourself stemming from expectations others have of you?

Is your inability to forgive yourself stemming from expectations you have of you?

What is the reason you cannot forgive yourself?

Do you not want to forgive yourself?

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you know this song?

Jesus Paid It All by Elvina Hall, 1865

I hear the Savior say, thy strength indeed is small
Child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me thine all in all

Jesus paid it all -All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow

Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone

Jesus paid it all-All to him I owe
Sin had left this crimson stain, He washed it white as snow

And when before the throne I stand in Him complete
“Jesus died my soul to save” my lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all-All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow
(He washed it white as snow)

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good  plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti