“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

Isaiah 43:18

Guilt and shame do not come from God. They are tools the enemy uses to keep us distracted. And by getting us to focus all of our attention on our past mistakes and failures, he succeeds every time. Guilt controls us because of what we have DONE in the past, while shame controls us because of what we BELIEVE about ourself. They usually go hand in hand, and they can be crippling. They keep us from moving forward in our faith, because it’s hard to see all of God’s goodness and grace and love through goggles smeared with guilt and shame. 

Everyone makes mistakes because we are human, and we all fall short of God’s perfection. (Romans 3:23) But God doesn’t want us to dwell on them; He wants us to learn from them, ask forgiveness, and get back on the right path. Once we do, that mistake, that sin, no longer matters. The record has been erased, permanently deleted, because God doesn’t keep a list of our failures. We have been forgiven, so it's time to let it go. God wants us to stop crucifying ourself for sins that Jesus has already been crucified for. He already took nails for us, and He doesn’t need to be convinced that we are good enough to love, because He chose us and MADE us good enough on the cross. He died for us once. How many more times would He have to die in order for us to feel worthy? 

The enemy wants you looking back, dwelling on mistakes and wallowing in shame. But God’s way is to look ahead, to do new things, to give fresh starts. Just as you can't drive a car forward while only looking in the rear view mirror, you can’t carry your faith into your future, if you are constantly looking at your past. So ditch those filthy goggles, keep your eyes looking straight ahead, and just watch what God can do with beautiful, worthy, wonderful YOU! You are loved! 

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Isaiah 65:17