Isaiah 43:16-21 This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies — they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.” This is what God says, forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. i have made mistakes my entire life and in some cases i thought they were so bad that i couldn’t forgive myself? Some… i thought were so bad that i went into a depression and i wasn’t able to move past them. Why am i so hard on myself? What is the appropriate amount of beating myself up before i realize i am worthy of forgiveness?
When the weight of the guilt crushes my spirit it eventually overwhelms me. i simply could not forgive myself for “whatever i think i have failed in.” In the past i would become depressed, withdrawn. In the past i have even considered suicide because i couldn’t bear the shame and the disappointment that i thought i read on the faces of those around me. At that point i felt like a complete and utter failure. My whole focus became consumed with making the situation right. i would cling to the little bit of hope still lingered deep within. i longed for the Holy Spirit to intervene on my behalf and make it all go away or at least better in some way. But that usually never happened. What the Holy Spirit did offer was self-forgiveness. At first, it didn’t seem like much of a gift, but what i have learned is that knowing how to forgive myself and how to move on after failure strikes, is a skill worth developing.
“Forgiving myself doesn’t mean i am free from the consequences of my actions. Yes, there will be consequences, but those consequences don’t have to include feeling guilt, shame and depression. Guilt, shame, and depression aren’t going to make me stronger, in fact, they weaken me and make it harder for me to recover.
The question comes, but if I forgive myself and act all happy again won’t people think I’m not taking my failure seriously?” “Do i really think the people around me wants met o sit in the corner and cry and blame myself? Or do i think they’d prefer it if i were resourceful and working daily to improve my situation?
When i fail i am disappointed in myself and i’m disappointed in the outcome of my actions. But neither of those are permanent. It doesn’t matter if i fall. The word says, a righteous man falls seven times, but rises up again. Everyone falls. It only matters how quickly i get back up and continue the race.
The first thing i need to do is forgive myself. Give myself the same compassion and understanding i’d give one of my children if they made a decision that had a negative consequence.
i have the opportunity to model for them what true success is, which is learning how to recover after a setback. Being happy and resourceful after a setback doesn’t mean i’m denying responsibility for my actions. It just means i’m acknowledging the situation and being committed to learn from it.
The secret to forgiving myself is to take responsibility for my actions, but not to let my perceived failure bury me. When i fail, when i make a mistake, learn from it and move on. i must stop beating myself up. i am worthy of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the gift i give myself that acknowledges i am human. i can’t always prevent failure, but i can always forgive myself for failing.
Isaiah 43:16-21 This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies — they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.” Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ — the coyotes and the buzzards — Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.
There it is again… significance because i am a “pep (people)” custom-made to praise Him.
me and I Am's Blog 
Whether you’re a mass-murderer or the “nice guy down the street,” you need to come to God in the same way. But once you have given your life to God, and turned away from all ungodliness, you can be sure of His forgiveness whether you feel forgiven or not!