I AM RENEWED

“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

When I am overcome with Guilt, I can make a new choice.

Guilt isn’t always a bad thing. Why? Because we don’t always get it right. And when we don’t get it right, Guilt is the thing that keeps us from forgetting it. It forces us to lament and be remorseful when we’d often rather ignore it. Now we have discussed what it means to push past guilt that is unwarranted, but what about the Guilt that is necessary? Like I said, we don’t always get it right and when we mess up (because we all do) How do we move forward?

So first things first, that’s the idea: to move forward. While Guilt can be a good thing when it’s holding us accountable for our actions or thoughts (yes, I did say thoughts. Let’s not pretend that we haven’t had some thoughts here and there that were less than favorable or kind), the idea is to move forward. And the only way you can do that is by making a new choice. So let’s get some affirmations in here to help you with making that new choice.

Affirmation 1: You can be forgiven. Whoever you wronged can forgive you. God will forgive you. And then you should forgive yourself. It’s not easy to ask for and it can be exceptionally hard when it doesn’t seem like the other person wants to give it, but don’t convince yourself that just because the other person is unwilling that you don’t deserve it when you have true remorse in your heart.

Affirmation 2: You can make new choices for yourself. No matter how many times you’ve chosen wrong, you always have the option to chose right. Become a better you and move forward with a new lease on life. In the bible, in the book of Isaiah, we find a passage where God is telling the people of Israel his plans for them: “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19) God had the path ready for them, He just needed them to let go of some things first. Once that happened, the people were victorious and didn’t allow guilt to get in the way.

Affirmation 3: For every new choice there’s a window for new opportunities. Make good choices and those guilty moments will fade away. I know it’s not easy, but my hope for you dear reader, is that it will become the next good habit. I hope you will take a moment to absolve yourself of the remorse you feel when thinking about your mess up, and just forgive. Forgiveness is good for the heart and soul. If you’re struggling to forgive, you should seek outside help and talk about what is bothering you. A physician, spiritual guide, and the tv guide channel are just gateways to being able to renew yourself and a little push to help. Don’t be so stingy with forgiveness that you miss seeing God’s will in action.

Love yourself enough to know when enough is enough.

When you love yourself, you either forgive, or you sit in remorse. Either way, as I stated before. Forgiveness is available, all you have to do is ask. I love you, keep conquering daily.