I'VE MESSED UP, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

As christians we are called to live a life pleasing to God and a life that is holy (set apart) because the God we serve is holy. But because we were born into sin, we all fall short at some point and time, and sometimes it’s more than once. I’ll be the first to admit that I have fallen more than once, and we all do because we are human which shows us that we need God in every area of our lives.

When we mess up, we typically tend to feel a lot of guilt and shame because we’ve disappointed God and let ourselves down. James 4:9 tells us that sinners should “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” That scripture there, lets us know that it’s okay to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what we have done. Those feelings are used by the Holy Spirit to convict us of whatever sin we have committed and it should motivate us to do something about it.

The good thing is that even when we mess up, God still loves us the same, He forgives, and He does not condemn. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I’m speaking from personal experience here because there have been many times where I’ve messed up and would feel so ashamed that I did not want to get back back in front of God because I felt unworthy. As I’ve grown more spiritually, I’ve learned that the enemy will play tricks with your mind and allow you to believe that you cannot move forward and God will not accept you with open arms. But I’ve learned that if I confess my sins and repent with a sincere heart, that God will forgive me and forget what wrong I did. The slate is wiped clean and we are able to press on and move forward.

So I encourage you to keep going and continue to press into God even more when you have messed up. It’s by His grace that we are able to have relationship with Him and through correction He teaches and guides us. The Lord can still use you, even when you have messed up, just look at Moses who was a murderer, Noah who was a drunk, Adam who couldn’t resist peer pressure, Jacob who was a manipulator, and the list goes on.

God is a God who enjoys relationship and wants to have one with you. So whatever is holding you back, and wherever you have messed up, turn back to God and allow His grace and forgiveness to flow into you.

Stay blessed y'all!