So how do you deal with past failure? Can you forgive your own self for the things you've done again and again? Do you believe the Lord does? Even if He knows you'll do it again?

I can share with you that I don't trust myself at all when it comes to repentence!  I've failed so many times in that area it's been a revolving door of "please forgive me" .  Seems as soon as I think I know what I'm doing, I fall ...

Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand it's own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.  It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever

1Corinthians 13:4-8

I know the Lord loves me...He sent His one and only Son to die for my sins...so then if He loves me then that means He keeps no record of my wrongs, He's hopeful, He doesn't give up on me, or lose faith in me, He is patient with me and although He is never glad about injustice (or when I sin) He rejoices when truth wins out....(or when I'm finally able to be obedient to Him). 

I believe God grieves when I grieve.  I understand that He will provide a way for me to escape from the sin that may be in front of me...He also loves me enough to have sent His Son to atone for it.

Because of that fact I don't have choice but then to learn to forgive myself...because if He does, the only way I'll receive His forgiveness is if I do too.

1John 1:8-10

Wow...so forgiving myself will please God?  I think so!  As long as I'm not doing the same thing over and over again and thinking it's ok.  No I need to continually take a "moral inventory" of what's what in my life and do the best I can to atone for my wrongs. 

The point is living by God's word and not necessarily what may "seem right" to the world.  That's the big one here....who do you want to please? self? God? or man?  I know now the only way I'm going to please myself is to please God...in actuality there is no pleasing self because I'm imperfect.  But if I put my hope and trust in the King of Kings he'll never fail me or let me down, and if He's pleased with me, I'll be pleased with myself.

As for overcoming recurrent sin? I think we all need to remember that as Christians we may bow before an open cross in celebrating His resurrection...but not forget that He was on that very same cross, and continuing to sin is like carrying out that sin while shouts from the crowd are rising "kill him" "kill him". 

Certainly if we were there with Him at that moment in time it would be a lot more difficult to commit that sin whatever it may be, standing right there in front of our Saviors cross, Amen?

Be of good cheer...Christ has overcome the world...through Him you can too.  Thanks for reading :)

-Rebecca Hawkins

Murrieta, Ca.

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