One day, while talking to a friend, I was berating myself for something that I didn’t have complete control of. I hadn’t done anything wrong; I had just expected a different result than the one I ended up with. They said to me “You gotta take the boxing gloves off.” When they said that, I realized that I have wasted a lot of my life beating myself up over things. Even if I had no control over the situation, I viewed it as somehow my fault if it didn’t work out the “right” way or the way I thought it was suppose to.
I’ve always wanted to be like David. I wanted to be strong, courageous, victorious, a writer, God’s beloved, the apple of God’s eye, delighted in and by God, obedient, hearing God’s voice louder than my own. You get the point. I’ve never felt like I could be any of these things. After all, why would God delight in a lowly sinner like me, or in someone who’s made some of the mistakes I’ve made, who’s had the kind of past I’ve had?
As I’ve studied more about David, I’ve learned that he was all the things I stated above, but he was also a liar, thief, murderer, extortionist, traitor, adulterer, and polygamist. These are qualities that I did not want to share with him, but it got me thinking…David didn’t beat himself up for his faults, why do we? How can David be all these horrible things and still be the apple of God’s eye? How could God think that David was a man after His own heart?
This is because when David was confronted (convicted) of what he had done; he immediately repented and refused to fall into that sin again. He made things right. It was his heart of obedience and repentance that God loved. It was how he dealt with his sin: by embracing God’s love and mercy through faith, that God loved.
Philipians 4:8 says – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
It doesn’t say – whatever is false, whatever your past, whatever your wrongs, think of these things. It doesn’t say forgive yourself today and 3 months later beat yourself up over it again.
Not only did God forgive David, but David forgave himself. That is something we all struggle with. Why? Why do we condemn ourselves and live in unforgiveness toward ourselves when God doesn’t? He doesn’t bring up your past mistakes just when you’re finally getting closer to Him than ever before. He doesn’t beat us up over our transgressions, so why do we?
The same love and mercy that David was given is ours for the taking. So often, satan brings our past sins into the forefront of our minds and tries to use them against us, making us feel shame, guilt, condemnation, unloved, unwanted, and depressed. This is one of satans goals: to move us away from the love of God. Fortunately for us, God’s love never fails. It is with us wherever we go and whatever we do. Unlike with humans, there is nothing we can ever do or say, and nothing anyone else can do or say that would move us away from the awesome, all encompassing love that God has for His children. That includes all His children, not just those who are saved.
My challenge to you today: take the boxing gloves off and quit beating yourself up over your past, over the things you’ve done or said. That was yesterday. This is today. God’s grace and mercy are new every single day and both are sufficient to meet all of your needs. Repent and turn away from your sins and let God’s love and mercy heal your heart, your mind, your body, and your soul.
