“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you” (Psalm 130:3-4, NIV).
In
my own imperfect Christian life I have discovered that I make
unintentional mistakes. To some an unintentional mistake might not
appear large, but to me it is. I know the life of someone might be
affected. I ask for forgiveness and pray for whoever might be hurt as
a result. If I allowed it, the enemy could tear me apart over
something like that. He could throw a guilt trip that could keep me
from serving the Lord. Once you ask for forgiveness, don't remain
burdened by feelings of guilt. Allow the Lord to show what you need
to do, and what you don't need to do. If you have truly turned it
over to Him, He will guide you perfectly in how to handle your
unintentional mistake.
I
have made unintentional mistakes where the intention of my heart was
actually to help or encourage someone else. I have stepped into
situations where I have been unaware of other dynamics taking place.
In my ignorance, I have fallen short of what God has intended. My
failure has not been in lack of caring. It has been in not allowing
the Holy Spirit to guide me.
Now
this is where I must really look at the state of my heart. Am I more
concerned about how someone I might have unintentionally hurt feels
about me or am I more concerned about how my mistake hurts them? The
focus must never be on me. If I am concerned about the appearance of
being “perfect” all the time, the focus is on me. That is wrong!
But if I realize that in my own imperfection, He alone perfects me,
then I am free to honestly admit my mistake. I don't want another
person to suffer or hurt in their Christian walk because of it. I am
willing to admit what I have done and ask for forgiveness. In
receiving God's forgiveness, I discover freedom from condemnation the
enemy brings to bear for a mistake that was never meant to happen.
Perhaps
you have found yourself in such a situation. If you discover you have
made an unintentional mistake, there is no condemnation in Jesus
Christ. You are more than a conqueror in Him. Beth Moore puts it like
this in “Praying God's Word”. “He who is unconvinced of God's
love is unconvinced he is more than a conqueror.” In all that
happens in your life, intentional or unintentional, you are more than
a conqueror through Him who loved you and gave His life for you
(Romans 8:37). There is forgiveness, and there is victory.
If
we can repent and be forgiven for an intentional wrong, then we are
also forgiven for our unintentional ones. With His forgiveness and in
reverence, we can rise up and serve Him–again
and again.
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