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 seems easier than forgiving ourselves. Guilt traps us in a spiral, listening to our unforgiving inner critic.

It is human nature to be too hard on ourselves and condemn ourselves sometimes, and whatever weight you carry is getting heavy, isn’t it?

Choosing not to forgive yourself is like being judge, jury, and defendant of your life all at once. We put ourselves on trial almost daily, writing our sentences of condemnation.

Most of us talk to ourselves in ways we wouldn’t let others talk to our kids or siblings. Yet, we have no problem condemning ourselves. 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 why self-forgiveness is important.

So, why is forgiving oneself important anyway?

Self-forgiveness is essential to living a full, meaningful, and authentic life. For yourself first, then for the people you love.

Why do I consider self-forgiveness important? 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, self-forgiveness 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 yourself.

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 lose yourself.

In deciding to forgive yourself, 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, you are not condemned.

Talk to yourself as you would to someone you care about. Be kind. Be accepting. Be 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.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in 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 will be free indeed” (John 8:36)!