TOPIC: Forgive Yourself First...
Good morning ladies and gentlemen! How are we all doing? Today, we are going to explore a very important topic- Forgiveness. This time not for others, but ourselves. Most of the time, our attention is drawn to forgiveness of others. However, to be able to forgive others or work effectively in God’s kingdom; you must learn to forgive yourself.
Do you know why it is very difficult to let go of the negative things that happen in our lives? Well, we are not able to forgive ourselves for it. Many times, we believe that we caused whatever happened. Some people are able to notice this. Many of us do not even know that we are angry without ourselves. This is bad.
We get angry and disappointed at ourselves because we are our "harshest" critics. We always think of our shortfalls and blame ourselves. Others tend to openly blame others because they do not want to show the grief they feel (for being the cause of the situation). It is important to assess the situation; learn from your mistakes, forgive yourself and move on.
For a while now, I have been battling with self-anger and self-disappointment. This began when our maiden event, “Time at His Feet!” did not go as planned. With this event and other recent events that have been happening; I was very disappointed. Till I sat down and began to think about the situation. There are some lessons I have learnt from all these experiences. They have made me stronger and better. Watch out for “Time at His Feet: Series 2” next year! It is going to be bigger and better!!
One of the main things, I would like to highlight is the separation from God that occurs when you do not forgive yourself. In my case, for example, I realized that Sammie’s Daily Dose was not being published consistently. My communication with God minimized. I was justifying all these with examples. We have to be careful when we have not forgiven ourselves. At times, it can lead us to lose focus on God and being to wallow in our self-thoughts and self-pity.
Today’s message is a very brief one! It is time to forgive yourself. The circumstance(s) you are facing was not caused by you. Forgive yourself for it. God is with you. He knows why He put you through them. He wants to teach you and strengthen you. Have a conversation with yourself. Re-play the situation and write out all the lesson you have learnt in your journey so far. Cry if you have to! Shout if you have to! Then take each lesson and pray to God about it. When you are done openly declare to yourself; “…(Your name)…, I forgive you!” Allow yourself to experience the whirlwind of emotions and know that God loves you!
- Have a wonderful day and let God inspire you!