I hope you know how much I love you. You feel ashamed and guilty about what you have said or what others may have said about you. I know you sometimes wrestle with your thoughts and questions about whether I have forsaken you. I want you to know I love you when your mind tells you I do not. I will never abandon you. I formed you in My sacred image, and no one is quite like you. I am your safe place. (I Am Your Advocate)
Many of the battles you fight are not the direct results of the circumstances that happen to you. But from how your mind perceives and handles the events you encounter each day. To restore your peace of mind, you must be honest about the situation that caused your pain and suffering.
Seek Me like a baby chick seeks its mother’s protection and covering. I am your safe place and refuge. Come to Me and acknowledge the faults that cause you suffering and pain. Do not make excuses or deny what you have done. The healing process to restore your peace of mind begins when you give your actions a truthful history. (The Stupid Mistakes You Make)
On the other hand, recognize the false guilt that steals your life force as a person, blaming yourself when you are not to blame. Do not accept blame for something you have not done. You are only responsible for what you have done, not what you think you may have done or what others say about you. Do not let the words of others condemn and hold you captive to them in your mind.
Run to Me as you would run to the city of God, for I am your safe place.
Reflection:
We can be our own worst enemies. We replay our failures and shortcomings in our minds, causing guilt and shame. Guilt is feeling remorse or regret for an offense or wrong you commit. The good news is that you can correct the wrongs and make up for them in your life. However, note guilt can be real or imagined in your mind.
Shame, on the other hand, is an attack on your personhood. It is the feeling that you are not okay and that something is wrong with you. You think you are the reason for your problems and deserve to feel the pain for your actions.
Prayer:
Lord, help me know how much you love me. Forgive me for the wrongs I have committed toward others. Help me discern the difference between genuine and false guilt. Let your love transform my being so I might be a light of grace and not be ashamed of who I am. Thank you that I am your beloved. Amen
Scripture:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 NIV
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5 NIV
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