Mommy and the Joyful Three
I am not one for resolutions for the New Year, mostly because I feel like I battle internally on a daily basis with new goals and ways to improve. But, this year is different. And my revelation leads me to write this new post about forgiveness and what it means to forgive yourself the way God does.
We all make mistakes. Sometimes we don’t foresee the consequences our choices produce until it’s too late. We are mere humans. All of us struggle with our own “demons”.
Lately, I’ve been meditating on how to forgive and move past some of my more hazardous choices and I feel God really showed me that if we are going to forgive ourselves, we must consciously work on changing ourselves.
Let’s say you have problems spending money that you don’t have and now you’re in debt. In order to forgive yourself and move forward, you must fight the temptation at the get-go.
If you are promiscuous and have made excuses for your behavior, it is time to face it and say “no more”.
If you have problems with your temper and blow up at your spouse and children, it’s time to not just apologize when you explode, it is time to stop exploding. And if you need help, get it.
God does not just want us to know of His forgiveness. He wants us to understand what it means—personally.
Acts 3:19 says: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of REFRESHING may come from the Lord.”
The word “refreshing” does not mean “to sin again” or to “wipe clean for now”. It means a true cleansing and discarding of the past.
Isn’t frustrating when people ask for forgiveness but then turn around and commit the same offense time and time again?
My children apologize for fighting on one day and then get right back to fighting again the next. It doesn’t necessarily mean their apology wasn’t sincere. They just struggle with resolving conflict and “fighting it out” is there go-to.
We all do it. It’s OK to make mistakes. The key is that we acknowledge them and start to work on ways to avoid them the next time the mood tempts us.
Change isn’t easy. But this year instead of making so many resolutions, let’s dig at the root of our problem areas.
God rewards the diligent just as a teacher does with a child who perseveres even in the face of difficulty. He will open your eyes and the doors for you to move forward in your life.
Beware that you cut God out of the picture and turn to self-help in the process. He is able to help and will give you the wisdom and guidance you need through prayer, reading the Bible and meditation.
Allow God to do this work in you. Make this year the year you threw away your past, making way for your incredible future.
What do you struggle with when it comes to forgiving yourself?
Forgive Yourself and Forge Forward
I am not one for resolutions for the New Year, mostly because I feel like I battle internally on a daily basis with new goals and ways to improve. But, this year is different. And my revelation leads me to write this new post about forgiveness and what it means to forgive yourself the way God does.
We all make mistakes. Sometimes we don’t foresee the consequences our choices produce until it’s too late. We are mere humans. All of us struggle with our own “demons”.
Lately, I’ve been meditating on how to forgive and move past some of my more hazardous choices and I feel God really showed me that if we are going to forgive ourselves, we must consciously work on changing ourselves.
Let’s say you have problems spending money that you don’t have and now you’re in debt. In order to forgive yourself and move forward, you must fight the temptation at the get-go.
If you are promiscuous and have made excuses for your behavior, it is time to face it and say “no more”.
If you have problems with your temper and blow up at your spouse and children, it’s time to not just apologize when you explode, it is time to stop exploding. And if you need help, get it.
God does not just want us to know of His forgiveness. He wants us to understand what it means—personally.
Acts 3:19 says: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of REFRESHING may come from the Lord.”
The word “refreshing” does not mean “to sin again” or to “wipe clean for now”. It means a true cleansing and discarding of the past.
Isn’t frustrating when people ask for forgiveness but then turn around and commit the same offense time and time again?
My children apologize for fighting on one day and then get right back to fighting again the next. It doesn’t necessarily mean their apology wasn’t sincere. They just struggle with resolving conflict and “fighting it out” is there go-to.
We all do it. It’s OK to make mistakes. The key is that we acknowledge them and start to work on ways to avoid them the next time the mood tempts us.
Change isn’t easy. But this year instead of making so many resolutions, let’s dig at the root of our problem areas.
God rewards the diligent just as a teacher does with a child who perseveres even in the face of difficulty. He will open your eyes and the doors for you to move forward in your life.
Beware that you cut God out of the picture and turn to self-help in the process. He is able to help and will give you the wisdom and guidance you need through prayer, reading the Bible and meditation.
Allow God to do this work in you. Make this year the year you threw away your past, making way for your incredible future.
What do you struggle with when it comes to forgiving yourself?
About This Blogger
Erin James is a freelance writer, mother of three, and author of CBN.com's Mommy blog.