Letting go of Your Past Mistakes

Forgiveness usually isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s an emotional process of voluntarily changing our feelings and attitude toward an offense. Forgiveness allows us to choose to overcome negative emotions like resentment and vengeance. But why is it so hard to forgive ourselves, and to let go of our past mistakes?

All throughout God’s Word, we read of forgiveness and how God so easily offers it to us. It’s a feeling of freedom, removing burdens we carry and giving them to Him. We tend to find it easier to forgive others, but when it comes to us, we make the process of self-forgiveness a little difficult. Letting go of past mistakes tends to be difficult because not only do we see ourselves as not worthy, but emotionally, we continue to punish ourselves for those mistakes. When we don’t forgive ourselves, the weight of our burdens and punishing ourselves outweighs God’s grace. We burden ourselves with guilt and shame for things we did in the past before knowing God, but there is no better time than now, to release those emotions and give ourselves some grace. God invites us to truly cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). In doing so, we can now find ourselves in the process of letting go of past mistakes and burdens. Our God is a caring and loving Father; when we share our pain with Him, He truly cares.

For more biblical insights on forgiveness and grace, resources like Bible Project’s video on Grace can help bring Scripture to life in fresh ways.

In Ephesians 1:7 God’s word says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. Knowing about forgiveness and having the revelation or understanding of forgiveness are two very different things. Our head knowledge differs from our emotional understanding, and we tend to mix the two. But once God has said you’re forgiven, it’s time to start forgiving yourself. God tells us how worthy we are of forgiveness, and as His children, He separates us from our sin as far as the East is from the West. Let’s have comfort in knowing that truth. You are worthy of forgiveness, and you are worthy of forgiving yourself from past mistakes.

Start the process. Forgiving ourselves and letting go of mistakes we’ve made will give us the freedom we so deserve. It’s time we start healing and truly forgiving ourselves and learning to let go. It may be easier said than done, but God is with us through the process. Lean on Him and get into your prayer time and ask Him to encourage and give you faith as you go through this process. No, it isn’t easy, but nothing is easy.

We encourage you to seek the Lord in prayer, bring your burdens to Him. Allow God to heal your heart and remove the shame we carry that becomes so heavy. Just as the Lord sees us sinless when we accept and follow Him, we should see that in ourselves as well. The enemy will bring all mistakes to remembrance, to discourage and interfere with your walk, but as the word says in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “(4) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…”.

We know that guilt and shame is not God speaking to us since we have been forgiven, so trade those negative thoughts with God’s word, speak truth to the situation that you are forgiven, and your past mistakes have been forgotten. Our walk with the Lord is day to day, and some days may be harder than others, but finding daily encouragement through prayer and reading God’s word will not only encourage you but will grow and strengthen your faith to let go of past mistakes and burdens.

Once beginning this process, it is so important that we continuously remind ourselves that we are forgiven and have been given a new clean slate to begin with. As we continue to grow and establish a prayer life and reading God’s word, our faith will grow, and past mistakes will no longer be a burdensome thought. We can walk with our heads held high knowing the creator of this universe, the God that created us in our mothers’ womb, the God who sent His Son to die for us and rise again three days later, does not see us as our mistakes, but as His children who are forgiven and loved.