Unaware, Unwilling

14 The blood of Christ, who had no defect, does even more. Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself to God and cleansed our consciences from the useless things we had done. Now we can serve the living God.

Heb 9:14 (GW)

Last week I talked about forgiveness of someone that has done something against us. This week I will take a little different slant on this by approaching someone else that we might need to forgive more than anyone else and that is ourselves. Often we are unaware of the need to forgive ourselves. Things we have done in the past haunt us and sometimes we just can't seem to get over them and yet we might never consider that If we ask God to forgive us or have already ask for forgiveness, that sin is washed away and He does not remember it.
Maybe in another case of forgiving ourselves we are unwilling to forgive. Maybe you have hurt someone deeply or you have done something that you think is unforgivable and you don't think you can be forgiven or don't want to be forgiven. You want to hold on to it so you might always remember and let this rememberance serve as a punishment. This kind of thinking does not come from God but from the enemy who wants to kill and destroy you and not having forgivness for yourself will destroy you. That is why God came to earth in the form of a man to destroy the works of this enemy.
Whether you are unaware of your need to forgive yourself or unwilling, right at this moment you can begin that process by first asking God to forgive you and in turn ask him to help you forgive yourself. If you ask him he is faithful to forgive and you can know He has taken that sin away from you as far as the east is from the west and as the scripture above says "he has cleansed your conscience from useless things". Receive his forgiveness today and forgive yourself as he has forgiven you.

Today this is Dedicated to the Memory of Lanois Davidson who had such a great influence on many of us. Remember Johnny and Mark in your prayers.