MY BLOGS

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". 1 John 1: 9 (ESV)

Have you read the story of the adulterous woman in John 8: 1 - 11? It’s a story about a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery by the Pharisees and teachers of the religious laws. They dragged her out and dumped her in front of the crowd where Jesus was teaching. Could you imagine what a commotion it must have been? They wanted to trap Jesus to say something they could use against him.

But let’s pick up the story as it continues. Here’s the woman probably half naked if not fully, dragged in front of a crowd and according to Moses Law she’s supposed to be stoned. And they asked Jesus “What do you say?”.

I love how Jesus was unmoved by the entire situation. He “stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.” The pressure mounted as they demanded an answer. You could feel the anticipation in the air. What do you say Jesus? Jesus said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” “Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.” Whoww, the religious leaders and Pharisees didn’t expect that! “When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman. “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you? “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

“Naked, ashamed and afraid” is what I would have titled this passage in the Bible. On the contrary, it’s titled “Jesus Forgives an Adulterous Woman”. Jesus does not hold us to our past−naked, ashamed, and afraid. He forgives us.

Have you ever felt so ashamed that you couldn’t look at yourself in the mirror? Naked, ashamed, and afraid that if anyone who knows you might find out what you’ve done that you would be forever banned from your family and friendship circle.

Yes, I have been there. I have experienced those emotions many times in my life. Guilt and shame from past wrongdoings and indiscretions caught up with me. My burden of the guilt became unbearable. It pushed me into my lowest low! My body became riddled with extreme pain, robbed from strength, and disabled. I needed help with the smallest task. My emotions were dead. I was numb except for the fire of anger flaring up more than what I wanted to. My mind was rotting in a prison built by fears and lies. My soul struggled with the spiritual cancer of shame and guilt.

How do you move forward from this low point in your life?

Friend, when you are rock-bottom, you’ll understand that the solution is not within your own strength. Look up to Jesus, the specialist in resurrection, the great physician who heals, restores, and forgives! It’s time to acknowledge your missteps, “man-up” to the wrong choices and confess the lies. Ask Jesus to forgive and to become the manager in your life. The Psalmist invites us to “Taste the goodness of God”. The forgiveness and grace that Jesus extends is indeed a sweet taste.

But here’s my struggle. God forgave me, and the burden of guilt was lifted from my shoulders, but how do I deal with the accusations, the regrets, the shame, and the emotions? How do I redirect my brain in the right direction, a brain that was for so long so deeply ingrained with guilt, shame and lies? How do I forgive myself?

The spiritual part is taken care of by Jesus. He removes the shame and guilt because his forgiveness is complete. Yes, God makes new, but I too have a part to play. I need to cast off the old self and put on the new on a daily basis. How do I do that?

• Let go of the lies, shame, disgust, self-loathing and guilt. When the lies enter your mind, take captive these thoughts and replace them with the truth. Remind yourself of the truth in Romans 8:1, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus”.

• Retrain your brain to think differently about your shame, guilt, and pain. Establish new neurogenic pathways to replace the chronic pain thought processes. (Look out for a future blog on this topic.)

• Deep restorative work on the past injuries and wrong choices needs to be done with professional assistance. Get yourself a good therapist who can walk you through the emotional damage, scars of your past. It will also help to assist with your current fears and anxiety. You will gain an independent perspective which helps you to understand yourself a little more.

I can attest to the hardest project I embarked on. It took many hours in the therapist’s office, much tears, heartache, and self-discipline.

As we exercise our physical muscles to become fit to walk, hike or run, we must exercise our emotional and spiritual “muscles” to become healthy. During all this time, God is working his restoration in our lives.

Forgiving yourself, can be much harder than forgiving others. God forgave you, why are you struggling to forgive yourself? By not forgiving yourself you are indirectly rejecting God’s forgiveness. Surrender and rest in his forgiveness.

There is an ongoing Spiritual battle for your soul. Take in your position, stand strong holding onto the truth. Abide and study the word and trust God to replace the lies with the truth at the time you need it. It is a continuous process over many years.

I compiled a prayer with excerpts from Isaiah 52: 1 – 12. Fill your name in the blank space as you pray it out loud with me:

Our God and Defender, says to you today,
Wake up, wake up, ______________ (your name)
Clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your beautiful clothes. (washed white by the blood of Jesus)
Rise from the dust _______________ (your name)
Remove the chains of slavery from your neck,
O captive daughter.
Now I (the LORD, God) can redeem you.
The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
Before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
the victory of our God.
Get out! Get out and leave your captivity,
Get out and purify yourself, For the Lord will go ahead of you;
Yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind. Thank you for your unfailing love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Thank you for your victory over sin. Help me to forgive myself as you have forgiven me.
Amen.

I would love to hear from you.Leave a comment. next time!

Anita Beukman

Your Hope Coach