Have you forgiven yourself?

"Why should I forgive myself? I haven't done anything wrong. It's somebody else's fault that this happened to me." This is often the natural first response to the question, "Have you forgiven yourself?" We can be so very quick to play the "Blame Game"...

I had been on tour for two years with my book Stronger than Ever, sharing with everyone along the way how my decision to forgive someone who'd badly hurt me had set me free. Then, in a radio interview, I encountered an unexpected question that I'd never before been asked: "Were you able to forgive yourself, too?" It's rare for me to be at a loss for words, but at that moment, I didn't have an answer!

Maybe you feel the same way, friend. Perhaps you've managed to forgive those who hurt you, but you wonder why you're still not completely happy, completely free.

God used this interview to open my eyes to Mark 12:31 all over again: "'...Love your neighbor as yourself…'" (NIV). As yourself! This verse implies that in order to love my neighbor, I must love myself first.

He who loves forgives! (see Proverbs 17:9, AMP) In that case, Mark 12:31 could also mean "Forgive your neighbor as you forgive yourself." In order to forgive my neighbor, I must also forgive myself.   

friend, here are some possible scenarios:

• Maybe your decision to enter into a particular relationship has cost you precious years of your life, and deep down, it still gnaws at you.
• Maybe the thought that you should've known better about a situation has paralyzed you for a long time.
• Or maybe it's those niggling thoughts that your physical appearance is unacceptable…to yourself and others.

Forgive yourself for those negative thoughts. Ask Jesus to give you the strength to overcome them so that you'll be able to move forward! 

Are you ready to forgive yourself? :-) I encourage you to do so, even right now!

You are a miracle!