I used to keep a mental highlight reel of my worst offenses. At the end of even the best day, my brain could hit the play button, and as scenes of my sins scrolled across the screen of my mind, I became so depressed and discouraged it was hard to see the light.
Although I confessed those sins to God and asked for His forgiveness, I couldn’t seem to forgive myself. I continued to beat myself up for the same things, over and over, with no end in sight, until one day I heard something that both shocked and shook me to the core: To confess a sin, repent, and then continue to ask God’s forgiveness for it multiple times (when you aren’t repeating the sin) is a form of pride.
Did I believe my sins were so enormous and unique that they were beyond His ability to forgive?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (KJV)
Why was I rejecting the forgiveness He offered me? In spite of the magnitude of God’s mercy and of the sins I know He’d forgiven, why did I act like He couldn’t handle mine?
We see divine forgiveness in action in the story of King David, who took what wasn’t his in Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and then orchestrated Uriah’s death by sending him to the front of the fiercest battle where the other troops withdrew, leaving him unprotected. David compounded his original sin against Uriah in order to cover up the fact that Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, not Uriah’s.
David did not recognize the scope of his sin until it was exposed to him by the prophet Nathan, using the parable of the ewe lamb. David repented and then followed the Lord the rest of his days, serving and honoring Him. God is merciful and forgives even the biggest of sins when we repent and follow Him. He uses broken people like David, the Apostle Paul, and you and I for His glory.
I hope you’ll join me today at (in)courage for the rest of the article!
Friends, I need your help.
We’re currently recruiting a launch team for My Essential Oil Companion and you’re invited! Check out the Launch Team page HERE or go straight to the form HERE.
When I wrote It All Began in a Garden and My Essential Oil Companion, I had no idea natural health was about to become even more crucial. And as I poured myself into the research, the things I discovered amazed me.
God provided for us in a BIG way from the beginning!
My Essential Oil Companion, will expand your knowledge and know-how of the 50 different essential oils featured in It All Began in a Garden, and go deeper with journaling questions, tips, tricks, and testimonials, plus plenty of space for recording your personal notes and recipes.
I believe the information in these books can be life-changing–you’ll see that from the testimonials alone–but I can’t reach all the people who need it by myself.
I’m reaching out to women who believe in me and this message to help me spread the word to as many people as possible. If you’re reading this, you are invited!
Join the Team and let’s do this together!
