Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time.

1 Peter 5:6 (AMP)

If you are dealing with a hurt or disappointment today—big or small—please know that God loves you and He wants to help you. Your situation has not been overlooked by Him. He knows exactly where you are and exactly what you are going through.

The healing process isn’t easy. It takes time, a commitment to studying God’s Word, and prayer. However, the Lord is faithful, and as you trust Him, He will bring healing, growth, and new life.

Start by admitting you need God’s help. God helps the humble (1 Peter 5:5–7)! We need to let God take us apart and then put us back together again.

As we renew our minds according to the Word, we will trust God more completely and believe what He says more than what others say about us, more than our feelings, and more than our circumstances. That’s when we live in His beauty, filled with His love, free from the prisons of our past, and healed in our souls.

God loves you more than you can comprehend, and He wants you to be free to walk in His good plans for your life. Take time every day to study His Word. Pray and cast your cares on Him, because He cares about you and wants what is best for you.

Prayer of the Day: God, I need You. I need Your help. Heal my heart and any broken places. Make me who You want me to be, amen.

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Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV)

I learned early in my Christian walk that the soul of a person is composed of the mind, the will, and the emotions. When we talk about having our soul healed, we are talking about finding healing for the things that have hurt or damaged us in our mind, our will, or our emotions. All three areas are important, but today I want to focus on the will.

The will refers to our wants, desires, and choices. When we realize that we want something and then we make the decision to get it, we are exercising our will. When someone wants us to do something and we refuse, that is also a choice of the will. If we are going to be healed in our soul, we need to submit and surrender our will to God. We should desire God’s will—what He wants for us—more than we want our own.

Want God’s will with all of your heart because you love Him and want to please Him. Submitting to God’s will shows that we trust Him and are confident that what He wants for us is much better than what we want for ourselves. I say, “Pray for what you want and joyfully receive what you are given.”

When we seek God’s will about various things in life, we do not always find our specific situation in Scripture. The Bible does not tell us whether or not to move to a certain city, whether or not to take a certain job, whether or not to buy a new car, or what we should do about marrying a certain person. It does, however, give us general guidelines that will help us follow God’s will. For example, if we are considering whether to make a geographic move or whether to take a certain job, Proverbs 11:14 (ESV) says, Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. If we pray and seek godly counsel, God may reveal His will through other people, or He may guide us by the presence or absence of peace. If we’re thinking about a purchase, the Bible talks about handling money and tells us to be careful with our money (Luke 14:28; Rom. 13:8). When we contemplate marriage, we can find many scriptures to help us know the type of person we should consider (2 Cor. 6:14; Matt. 19:4–6; Eph. 5:33). We can always count on God’s Word and His Spirit to lead us to His will. Sometimes we need to take a step of faith and see if God opens a door we can go through, or if we need to step back and try something else.

When God sees that we want His will more than anything else, He is faithful to reveal it to us. As we walk in His will, we will find that it is better than anything we could ever want for ourselves.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me desire Your will above my own. Give me wisdom, peace, and courage to follow Your direction and trust that Your plans are best for my life, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Adapted from Battlefield of the Mind

For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power.

1 Corinthians 2:2–4 (AMPC)

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to go to Corinth or other Greek cities at the time of Paul and try to speak to those wise, brilliant thinkers. After studying every parchment given to me, and gaining knowledge of all their arguments, I would have prayed for God to help me overcome their objections.

We don’t know what Paul did, but his answer is astounding. Instead of going after them with great reasoning and sharp logic, he went in exactly the opposite direction. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, and many came to Christ because of him. Later, when he wrote 1 Corinthians 2:2 (AMPC), he said, For I resolved to know nothing…among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. That’s amazing. If any man had the ability to reason with those Greeks and could show them the fallacies of their logic, surely that man was Paul. But, being led by the Holy Spirit, he chose a defenseless presentation—to let God speak through him and touch the hearts of the people.

Now, centuries later, I appreciate his approach—although I didn’t always feel this way. For a long time, I wanted to explain and reason out everything, but when that didn’t work, I ended up feeling miserable.

I’ve always been curious, always wanted to know, and always wanted to figure out the answer. Then God began to work in my life. He showed me that my constant drive to figure it out caused me confusion and prevented me from receiving many of the things He wanted me to have. He said, You must lay aside carnal reasoning if you expect to have discernment.

I didn’t like loose ends, so I felt more secure when I figured things out. I wanted to be in control of every detail of every situation. When I didn’t understand or was unable to figure things out, I felt out of control. And that was frightening to me. Something was wrong—I was troubled and had no peace of mind. Sometimes, frustrated and exhausted, I would just give up.

It was a long battle for me because I finally admitted something to myself (God knew it all along): I was addicted to reasoning. It was more than a tendency or desire to figure out things. It was a compulsion. I had to have answers—and had to have them right now. When God was finally able to convince me of my addiction, I was able to give it up.

It wasn’t easy. Like people who withdraw from drugs or alcohol, I had withdrawal symptoms. I felt lost. Frightened. Alone. I had always depended on my ability to figure things out. Now, like Paul, I had to depend on God.

Too many people assume that relying only on God is something we do easily and naturally. It didn’t work that way with me. But God was gracious and patient with me. It was as if He’d whisper, “You’re not there yet, Joyce, but you’re making progress. It’s uncomfortable because you’re learning a new way to live.”

God wants us to be victorious—and I knew that all along. Now I walk in greater victory than ever before—and I no longer try to reason out everything before I act.

Prayer of the Day: Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me and people like me who feel we must have all the answers before we can act or trust. In the name of Jesus, help me to simply trust in You, knowing that You will give me what is best for my life, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart].

Matthew 3:8 (AMPC)

Our society places so much importance on the way things look that appearances often take priority over true quality. One time I saw some big, perfect oranges in the grocery store and decided to buy one. I was sure the orange would taste as good as it looked, but when I peeled that beautiful thing and took a bite, it was dry and bitter.

Giving consideration to whether you are as good on the inside as you look on the outside is a serious matter. Many people are searching for God today, and there are numerous teachings about how to find Him that sound right. As Christians, we need to make sure we are “the real thing” and not a phony. Only then will people see Jesus in us and want what we have.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me focus on who I am inside. Teach me to live with integrity and reflect Your truth in my life, not just in appearance but in character, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily ( from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward…

Colossians 3:23-24 (AMPC)

Jesus died so that you can enjoy abundant life, not just the days you are off work or on vacation or when you get to go shopping or golfing—but every day of your life.

He wants you to enjoy going to the grocery store. He wants you to enjoy driving the kids to school. He wants you to enjoy paying the bills. He wants you to enjoy cleaning the house or mowing the yard.

You can enjoy life if you determine to do so. Say, “I am going to enjoy every aspect of my life, because Jesus died so that I could have joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me choose joy in every part of my day. Teach me to appreciate the simple moments and live with gratitude, peace, and a joyful heart, amen.

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Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (AMPC)

When a boy is growing up, he begins to realize that he is not like his mother, and he differentiates himself from her. His masculinity is defined by separation. He will normally seek his own identity and individuality. A girl does not feel this need and usually remains close to and dependent upon her mother.

About twice as many women as men experience depression, and about 70 percent of the mood-altering or anxiety-relieving drugs are taken by women. In her book Unfinished Business: Pressure Points in the Lives of Women, Maggie Scarf has suggested this reason:

Women are statistically more depressed because they have been taught to be more dependent and affection-seeking, and thus they rarely achieve an independent sense of self. A woman gives her highest priorities to pleasing others, being attractive to others, being cared for, and caring for others. Women receive ferocious training in a direction that leads away from thinking “What do I want?” and toward “What do they want?” They may be in danger of merely melting into the people around them and fail to realize they are an individual with rights and needs, and they need to establish independence.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, it is so easy to lose my sense of independence and get caught in totally depending upon others. Strengthen me and set me on Your firm foundation of freedom, amen.

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The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

John 10:10 (AMP)

True success does not come easily or without hurdles for anyone. It is the result of hard work, patience, sacrifice, and determination—but it does come. As a child of God, the only way you will ever be a failure is if you give up.

You can be successful in every area of your life—work, relationships, marriage, pursuit of God’s plans, and everything else in which you are involved. But lasting success requires effort, and as you work toward it, the enemy will try to oppose you.

It’s crucial to learn to keep moving forward in God’s strength when success does not come as easily as you would like. When you face the obstacles that you are sure to encounter along the way, don’t give up. Keep moving forward with determination!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, give me strength to keep going when things are hard. Help me stay determined, trust Your timing, and not give up on the path You’ve set before me, amen.

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..That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).

James 4:6 (AMPC)

Has God ever had to deal with you about pride? Here are some ways you can tell if you have an issue with pride: If you have an opinion about everything, if you are judgmental, if you can’t be corrected, if you rebel against authority, if you want to take all the credit for yourself, or if you say “I” too often. These are signs of pride.

It is hard to let God replace our pride with His humility, but it is vital. If we want to live in close relationship with God, we must come to Him with an attitude of humility. Pride relies on self, but humility relies on God. It is only in the place of humility that God can bless us.

The humble get the help! If we humble ourselves under God’s hand, He will exalt us in due time (James 4:10). Proud people think they deserve everything they want “now,” but humility says, “My times are in Your hands, Lord.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, show me areas of pride in my life. Help me walk in humility, trust Your timing, and rely on You instead of myself in all things, amen.

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The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.

Psalm 34:10 (AMPC)

It is important to develop what I call an “abundant mindset”—one that believes God will always provide what we need in every situation. This is God’s promise throughout Scripture, and part of His nature is to provide for His children. In fact, in the Old Testament, one of the Hebrew names of God is Jehovah-Jireh, which means the “Lord Our Provider.”

There is nothing we need that He is not able and willing to provide. He loves us and wants to take care of us. When we love Him and do our best to progressively learn and obey His ways, He will make sure our needs are met. In fact, there is no one He would rather share His blessings with than His children.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust You as my Provider. Strengthen my faith to believe You will meet every need and give me peace as I rely on Your care each day, amen.

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Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.

Romans 5:3 (AMPC)

We all face obstacles from time to time. God doesn’t remove every obstacle that stands in our way because we are often made stronger as we learn to overcome obstacles. When we deal with the difficulties of life, we are strengthened. But if we run from all of them, we will never grow and become stronger in our faith and abilities.

If God allowed us to go through all of life without any obstacles, it would harm us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Many times, our obstacles are what God uses to give us the strength to succeed, as long as we refuse to quit when there seems to be no way to go on.

You can face your fears and overcome them, and when you do, you’ll often find they gave you the strength you needed for the next situation that comes.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, give me strength to face challenges without fear. Help me trust You in every obstacle and grow stronger through each situation. Teach me to keep moving forward with confidence, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith.

Romans 12:6 (AMPC)

My husband, Dave, once did one of the wisest things I’ve seen. Before we entered full-time ministry, he worked as an engineer. He was offered a promotion that included a pay raise and a lot of prestige. But he turned it down. At first I was angry with him. I thought he was making a big mistake. Didn’t he want to climb the corporate ladder? He explained that he had watched the other men in that position. They had to travel extensively, and they were constantly saddled with unreasonable deadlines that put them under tremendous stress. “That is not the way I want to live,” Dave said. He chose the position that allowed him to stay within his abilities and stick to his core values—commitment to God and family, and comfort with self—rather than chasing corporate power so others would look up to him. Besides, why choose a higher paycheck if you just spend it on doctor bills to relieve your stress-induced illnesses?

The most important foundations to long-term happiness are being in right relationship with God, good health, a loving home life, work that is satisfying and not overly stressful, and enough money that you don’t worry about finances.

I believe there could be much more happiness and less stress in the world if people would take the time to seek God about decisions. When you are offered a new position, ask yourself why you want it. If it’s just for prestige, don’t take it. Money is an important consideration and can make some things in life easier, but don’t take any job purely for the money if it’s going to make you less happy on a daily basis.

It is always wise to think about the long-term effect of every commitment. Don’t merely think of the benefits but also think of the way it will change your overall life. Every privilege comes with responsibility, so make sure you are ready for both before saying “yes.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me make wise decisions that honor You. Give me clarity, peace, and the courage to choose what leads to lasting joy and a balanced life, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men.

Colossians 3:23 (AMPC)

We were never created to live a boring life. God put a craving for adventure in us, and adventure means trying something we have never done before. If you are going to be adventurous, you may need to step out into something new. Don’t sit on the sidelines of life and watch the brave people live exciting lives—join them. Step out of your “boat of safety” and see if you can walk on water as Peter did (Matthew 14:26–31).

I assure you, if you are stepping out into God’s will for you, He will make you able to succeed. You do not have to feel able, and you do not have to have experience. All you need is the desire to be obedient to God, a thankful attitude, and a heart full of faith. God is not looking for ability; He is looking for availability. He is looking for somebody to say, “Here I am, God, send me. Here I am, use me. I want to serve You, God. I want to do all that You want me to do.”

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am thankful that You want me to enjoy an amazing, adventure-filled life. Whatever You have for me to do, I pray that You will make it clear. Thank You for the opportunities You are sending my way and the boldness You are giving me to make the most of them.

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My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:8 (AMPC)

The psalmist David says in today’s scripture that his “whole being follows hard after” God and “clings closely” to Him. We can sense the intensity of David’s heart as he follows God, the only worthy leader we could have.

You may remember, as I do, playing a childhood game called Follow the Leader. If the leader was creative and fun and kept everyone moving at a good pace, the game was enjoyable.

If the leader was bossy, moved too fast, or was inclined to lead other children to do things that were too hard or dangerous, the game fell apart quickly. As we go through life, we get to choose which leader we will follow. We all reach a point where we must decide whether we will follow God or trust ourselves to lead our lives.

People who go through life with their own agendas—trying to set their own course, make their own plans, and run their own lives—often end up frustrated and unhappy. It’s not that their plans aren’t good; it’s that God’s plans are so much better.

When we follow God, we have a leader who moves at exactly the right pace and keeps life interesting for us. He also makes sure we miraculously end up just where we’re supposed to be, when we’re supposed to be there. Following God is a great adventure, and I hope you will embrace it today.

Prayer of the Day: God, I choose You as the leader of my life. Help me to follow hard after You with my whole being.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Matthew 8:2 (ESV)

Sometimes, people read today’s scripture and skip over its most important part. They first focus on the fact that the man had leprosy, a terrible disease that would have taken a miracle to cure. Then they turn their attention to his question and wonder if Jesus will be willing to heal him. We also need to pay attention to the fact that the man “knelt before him.”

The fact that he knelt before Jesus reveals the condition of his heart. He was humble in the presence of the Lord, and he worshipped and honored Him before he asked Him for a miracle.

When we need something from God, we can easily become so focused on our situation that we completely overlook the importance of worshipping and honoring God. We jump straight into talking about what we need from Him and forget to thank Him for who He is.

No matter what you need today—whether it’s something minor or something major—God can help you. But before you ask Him to do anything for you, take time to praise, worship, and honor Him for who He is.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to worship You before I ever ask You to do anything for me. In Jesus’ name amen.

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And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).

Matthew 22:37 (AMPC)

I once heard a great woman of God say, “Love God and then do what you please.” My initial thought was that if we all did what we pleased, we would do a lot of bad things. But if we truly love God, that would not be the case. Jesus said, If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands (John 14:15 AMPC). Out of our love for God, we want to please Him. We’ve become sons and daughters, not slaves.

A slave follows all the rules in order not to get into trouble, but sons and daughters learn the Father’s heart and delight in pleasing Him. When we find an area of disobedience in our lives, or we feel that we cannot resist temptation to sin, instead of fighting the sin, we have a better option: We can draw closer to God, falling more deeply and intimately in love with Him, recognizing His amazing goodness. Then the sin will not be tempting or attractive. As we draw close to God, we are resisting sin and it finds no place to make its nest in our lives.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to please You at all times. Draw me to You and teach me to know You better and to love You more, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:43–45 (NIV)

Many of us have suffered emotional wounds over the course of our lives, or we may still be in emotional pain. These wounds can fester and cause us to struggle in various ways if we do not seek the healing God offers us.

Emotional wounds may come from abuse, rejection, abandonment, disappointment, criticism, judgment, or other types of hurt. If you have an emotional wound of any kind, I want you to know today that Jesus can heal you everywhere you hurt. According to the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1 (NIV), Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim freedom for the captives. He heals our broken hearts and sets us free from pain and other forms of bondage. He also came to comfort all who mourn and to give us a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:2–3).

To begin to heal emotionally, we need to make godly choices while we are still hurting. Pressing through our feelings in this way can be difficult, but it’s worth doing because it leads to freedom and wholeness. For example, according to today’s scripture, the world would tell us to love people who are good to us and hate our enemies. But this leads to bitterness. And bitterness is a negative emotion that keeps our pain fresh and prohibits us from feeling peaceful.

Jesus says to forgive those who have hurt us and to love and pray for our enemies. This is the way to peace, healing, and freedom.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Jesus, for teaching me to forgive so I can be healed and set free from emotional pain.

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And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life. And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Mark 15:37-38 (AMPC)

When Jesus died, the temple veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn from the top to the bottom (Mark 15:37-38).

That opened a way for anyone to go into God’s presence. Prior to Jesus’ death, only the high priest could go into God’s presence and then only once a year with the blood of slain animals, to cover and atone for his sins and the sins of the people.

It is significant that the tear in the veil of the temple was from top to bottom. The veil, or curtain, was so high and so thick that no human could have torn it—it was torn supernaturally by the power of God showing that He was opening a new and living way for His people to approach Him, as we read in today’s verse.

From the beginning, God has desired fellowship with man; that was His purpose in creating us. He never wanted to close people off from His presence, but He knew that His holiness was so powerful that it would destroy anything unholy that came near it. Therefore, the way for sinners to be completely cleansed had to be provided prior to man’s having access to God’s presence.

We are in the world, but we are not to be of the world (John 17:14–6). Our worldliness and earthly ways separate us from God’s presence and can keep us from hearing His voice. Unless we are constantly receiving by faith the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood to keep us clean, we cannot enjoy intimacy and come into proper fellowship with God.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for making a way for me to come into Your presence. Help me walk in purity, receive Your grace, and grow closer to You each day, amen.

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Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.

Psalm 94:12-13 (AMPC)

God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:12 NIV), and we should appreciate and submit to His discipline. Discipline is not a bad thing; it is our friend because it teaches us the right way to live so we can enjoy the blessings Jesus died to give us.

Our scripture for today says that God will keep working with us through discipline and instruction until we learn to stay calm in adversity, while we wait for God to deal with our enemies.

For years I was up and down emotionally. If my circumstances were good, I was up, and if they were bad, I was down. This was very tiring, and it was not a good example to anyone around me.

I finally learned that being discouraged or depressed when facing trouble and difficulty doesn’t do any good. It never solves the problem. But if we put our trust in God and continue enjoying life in the midst of our problems, we defeat the devil and our breakthrough comes. Instead of feeling guilty or angry when God disciplines and instructs you, be thankful that He loves you enough to take the time to do it.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me welcome Your discipline and trust Your correction. Teach me to stay steady in every circumstance and grow stronger as You guide me in truth, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)

Do you think about what you’re thinking about? Learning to regularly take inventory of our thoughts is essential to having a good life. Instead of being “unthinking” people, we can train ourselves to think about what’s going on in our minds.

It was a glorious revelation for me when I realized I don’t have to think about just anything that comes into my mind. I can choose my thoughts and do my own thinking—on purpose. I can deliberately choose to think positive, faith-filled thoughts that line up with God’s Word.

If your mood begins to sink or you have a bad attitude, take an inventory of your current thoughts, and you will very likely find the culprit. Negative thinking not only makes you upset and bitter, but it also prevents God from working in your life. We receive from God through faith, and faith is always positive.

You don’t have to sit by passively and let the enemy fill your mind with poisonous and destructive thoughts. Instead, you can learn to recognize them, and with God’s help, you can think about something else that will be beneficial.

Make a decision to think and say the right things—things that line up with the Word of God.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me recognize when my thoughts aren’t my own so that I can take them captive and replace them with thoughts that are beneficial. Help me think with the mind of Christ, amen.

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Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].

Romans 8:1 (AMP)

Sometimes we feel pain in our soul because we have hurt other people inadvertently. Often we hurt those people because we were hurting, too, and we did not mean to wound them. This is especially true for women who may have been abused or otherwise hurt while growing up, and then they in turn hurt their children. They never wanted to cause problems; they simply did not know any better. The same could be said for people who hurt friends, spouses, or other family members unintentionally.

As we mature and come to realize that something we said or did caused pain or struggle in another person’s life, we may feel very badly about it. When that happens, the thing to do is talk to the person, admit what we have done to cause pain, and offer a sincere apology. We may also feel we can explain to the person what was going on with us at the time or tell them how we came to realize that we hurt them. The most important parts of this kind of conversation are to take responsibility for our actions and to apologize. Hopefully, the other person will accept the apology and we can move on. If there is anything we can do to help the person break free from the impact of what we have done, we can make ourselves available for that. If not, we can simply pray that God will continue to heal and strengthen him or her.

In situations where hurt has been especially deep, people may not be ready to move on. They may, instead, remind us repeatedly of what we have done and use our admissions and apologies against us. Accusations such as, “The reason I am the way I am is that you hurt me so deeply years ago!” Or, “If you hadn’t done what you did to me, I wouldn’t have done that!” When we hear such words, we can be tempted to feel guilty or condemned about our past actions.

Once we have confessed our sin to God and received His forgiveness, and we have admitted our faults to those we have hurt and apologized to them, we should no longer carry the guilt of our mistakes or failures. God offers us free and ultimate forgiveness, and when we have that, we can view ourselves as clean, regardless of what other people say to us.

John 3:17 (ESV) says, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him, and Romans 8:1 declares that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Him. No matter what you have done, you can live free, forgiven, and healed in Jesus. The people you have hurt may not be quick to forgive you, but God always will be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness. Help me take responsibility, release guilt, and walk in freedom. Teach me to trust Your grace and live free from condemnation, amen.

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