A great reminder as we journey through the season of Lent.
While Lent is supposed to be a time of reflection and drawing closer to God, it’s also a season of repentance. We don’t like to think about repentance much or about sin. It’s often easy to pick out the sins of others, but our own sometimes seem to escape our notice.
One thing I consistently find when talking to parents of all ages and stages is that they carry around guilt regarding their children. They regret a wide variety of decisions they made while raising their kids. They carry guilt over things like their kids’ education, or not being more involved in their lives, to getting a divorce.
The truth is, there’s no way that any parent will always make the right decisions. Parents are humans. Humans are flawed and broken and we make mistakes. But, we can also be forgiven.
When we repent and ask God for forgiveness, we are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. He shed it for all people and for all sin, period. As Christians, we sometimes need to ask ourselves, if we really believe that. If we do, then we cannot carry around unresolved guilt. When we do, we are really saying to Jesus that his sacrifice didn’t count. We are saying that everyone else’s sins can be forgiven, but our sins are special and especially dark.
Does that concept sound ridiculous? Hopefully, it does, but a lot of people are carrying guilt and shame needlessly. When we lay our burdens, even guilt, at the foot of the cross, we must leave them there. If we truly believe in the power of Jesus, we cannot pick them back up.
We also need to remember that we have an enemy that loves for us to carry around anything that causes us pain. Anything that separates us from God is a victory for him. Guilt that we have repented of, that we have placed at the foot of the cross, is no longer our burden to bear, even if Satan whispers in our ear a different message. We aren’t to listen to him.
Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 9b
Lent may be the ideal time to ask ourselves if we believe that. If we do, then we have to repent of any guilt that we stubbornly cling to for whatever reason. It’s not God’s way or in His plan for us. How can we serve Him with our whole heart if we allow darkness to abide within our heart? Unresolved guilt is darkness.
Maybe we should take a little time during this season to honestly let go of burdens that have been forgiven long ago and if we need forgiveness, then all we have to do is ask. Letting go of the bad stuff that we can’t change is actually about trust and obedience. How are you doing with those two things?
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂