Forgive Your Old Self, You’ve Changed
Do you ever feel undeserving of the good things that come your way due to past mistakes?
Or perhaps, full of regret for missed opportunities or roads not taken?
You may feel the universe should punish you, hoping it will make up for the wrongs and hurt caused.
But would it?
Forgiving others often feels easier than forgiving ourselves.
This is so because guilt keeps us stuck, constantly listening to our harsh inner voice.
It is human nature to be hard on ourselves and self-critical at times.
The weight we carry keeps getting heavier because of it.
Therefore, choosing not to forgive yourself is like being judge, jury, and defendant of your life all at once.
Most of us talk to ourselves in ways we wouldn’t let others talk to those we love, yet we have no problem condemning our own selves.
Which is really sad.
The good news, however, is that you can slam down the gavel, dismiss the court, and let yourself off the stand.
You’re no longer the person you used to be.
You’ve admitted faults, learned from experiences, intentionally worked on yourself, and you are becoming a much better person.
This is the strength of self-forgiveness, and you need to embrace it.
So, why is forgiving oneself important anyway?
Forgiving your old self is essential to living a full, meaningful, and authentic life.
For yourself first, then for the people you love.
Why does that matter so much, you ask?
Because you are worthy of love, period!
To be human is to be messy and mistake-ridden, but you are more than the worst thing you’ve done.
If you do not show yourself compassion, you can’t show others compassion.
Thus, forgiving your old self allows you to treat yourself as you should treat others.
When you condemn yourself, you’re choosing to let past decisions define your identity, walking through life with a weight on your back.
That one bad decision has captured the essence of who you are, consuming you.
That’s not fair!
By grooming unforgiveness, you’re preventing yourself from living in the present and expecting good things in the future.
You have to decide to forgive your old self.
What’s next?
Treat yourself like someone you love
You have more power over your thoughts and actions than you realize.
If stuck in shame and resentment, you won’t just wake up one day feeling like forgiving yourself.
Trust me. The pain will continue to eat you inside until you eventually break.
In deciding to forgive your old self, you need to treat yourself like someone you love. Have an outrageous amount of compassion.
Even if you’ve done the most horrific things in the past, know that you are not condemned.
Talk to yourself as you would to someone you care about.
Show kindness. Practice acceptance. Stay patient.
Show yourself generous mercy and grace.
As you embrace the truth of God’s love and witness positive changes in your life, acknowledge that you genuinely deserve all the love you receive.
This acknowledgement mirrors 1 John 4:19, where the awareness of God’s love not only enables us to love others but also becomes integral in comprehending and embracing His forgiveness.
By recognizing the source of love and forgiveness in God’s enduring kindness, revealed through Christ Jesus, we empower ourselves to extend that grace inward, fostering self-forgiveness.
In Jesus, all are freed from condemnation, and liberated to love.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
So, if you’ve been stuck in this horrible web and state of mind, believing you’re not worthy of forgiving your old self, I hope that today becomes a turning point—that you refuse to let your past mistakes define you.
Jesus Himself said, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free!”
