06/06/2021 Forgiving Yourself

Scripture:Mark 3: 20 -35

I know a little girl who felt very upset about something that happened for which she was responsible. She accidentally dropped and broke a beautiful glass swan that belonged to her mother. It was a special gift that had been given to her mother by her mother’s grandmother.

This little girl felt sad because she caused the accident, even though her mother did not punish her or say anything to make her feel that way.

Sometimes we do or say something that seems so hurtful we think we will never be forgiven. At other times, when we are angry, we may intentionally hurt another person. Afterwards, when we think about what we have done, we are ashamed of our actions and feel miserable.

This is when we need good advice. In the Bible we learn that we can be forgiven of our sins if we truly feel sorry, ask for God’s forgiveness, and try to make things right. What a blessing. We don’t have to continue to carry a heavy load of guilt.

The little girl I told you about needed to accept God’s forgiveness and find a way to forgive herself. She decided that she would give her mother a gift and she shopped until she found a small glass bowl that was very beautiful. It made her feel better, even though she was not able to replace the swan, to let her mother know she was sorry. She needed a way to show her love.

If you are struggling with a mistake you have made and feel sorry that it happened, remember that God promises forgiveness for all sins. Sometimes you even need to learn to forgive yourself.