Forgiving Myself

I recently read an online article entitled "Self-forgiveness and God's Forgiveness" by Father Alexis Trader, an Orthodox priest. Father Alexis discusses our contemporary emphasis on the self, even to the point of espousing self-forgiveness rather than remembering that only God can forgive our sins. He writes,"In place of introspecting ourselves into a state of self-forgiveness, we simply need to accept God’s forgiveness, generously offered to all who repent. Instead of relying on ourselves, we simply need to rely on God. Instead of sifting among our beliefs about how bad our actions were, we need to turn to belief in forgiveness incarnate in the person of Christ Jesus....".

I agree with Father Alexis that our contemporary culture places far too much emphasis on the self, and also with his point that only God, through Christ, can forgive us when we sin.  However, I also believe that many individuals need help in letting go of their sins.  I have heard it stated that many people have more trouble "forgiving" themselves for past sins and failures than they do with forgiving others who have wronged them.  It seems to me that there is a great deal of truth in this statement.

The ability to accept God's forgiveness can be especially difficult for individuals who see God primarily as a stern taskmaster and judge, rather than a loving and merciful Creator.  This can also be especially true for individuals who have been influenced by parents or other authority figures who led them to believe they were unworthy if they did not do everything perfectly. These individuals, as well as many of us who have not been shaped by such experiences, sometimes need compassionate reminders that God loves us and wants us to experience the power of forgiveness.  Such reminders may come from family members, friends, mentors, or clergy who know that we are struggling with guilt and unable to move past it.  These people reflect God's love to us and help us to open up to that love once again.

God knows that we are not perfect.  Our loving Creator only asks that we regularly confess our sins, ask for divine help in amending our lives, and then do our best to follow the Way of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new." (Jubilee Bible 2000)  If we confess our sins to God and follow the Way of our Lord, we can be assured that God is making us new. Dwelling in this assurance, we are free to let go of our past sins and move forward as God's beloved ones.