In The Desert 2

As I have pondered what I wrote yesterday about my dad and how we have forgiven one another, I came to what I think is a new realization—he has not forgiven himself.  Why else would he frequently bring up his mistakes and regrets of years past?  How have I missed this?  I see it so quickly in people I minister to in church…but I’ve missed the tell-tale signs in my own family.  I think I’m going to have to talk to him about this soon.

He told me something that really blessed me when we were sitting there talking this weekend—he said “you are my pastor.”  Talk about bringing tears to your eyes!  I told him “you are my prophet!”  I said that because he speaks something into my life that is prophetic nearly every time we talk on the phone.  If I need a word from the Lord, I just call him up.

Here’s the thing….we must forgive ourselves.  It is actually sin to not forgive yourself, when the One who died on the cross for your sins has forgiven you.  When you continue to carry your regrets and your guilt, you are in effect saying to God that the cross was not enough.  Forgiveness must be given to others, to yourself….and to one other person that most people just plain forget about….to God.  More on that in another post, perhaps.    (Romans 8:1-2)