Mar 8 . Have You Forgiven Yourself For ...?

Greetings,

Self forgiveness?  What is that? What does it look like? Is it important? Let's look around and ask each other and the Lord for meaningful examples or illustrations? Or better yet, look into our own lives? And into the Bible for any teaching or examples that might be found?

I'm not sure if we'll do that this Wednesday night, 6:30 pm, at the Bell's or not? Or if we'll watch the film we've been talking about, "as we forgive" by Laura Waters Hinson? Dr. Stan will be leading and I've not discussed it with him yet. If he gives me anything, I'll edit this blog and put it at the bottom. Just wanted you to be prepared if you want to be. :)

On my way back from the Israel/Germany trip last week, my friend Rainer gave me this excellent book which I read on the airplane and finished up the first day home, "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller. I highly recommend it for situational awareness in our spiritual and cultural lives, and well as our personal lives with the Lord.

In it, among many other wonderful things, I found a different perspective on self forgiveness.

Blessings and Shalom,

Dwayne

There is legitimate guilt that is removed through repentance and restitution, and then there is irremediable [impossible to cure or put right] guilt. When people say, “I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself,” they mean that they have failed an idol, whose approval is more important to them than God’s. Idols function like gods in our lives, and so if we make career or parental approval our god and we fail it, then the idol curses us in our hearts for the rest of our lives. We can’t shake the sense of failure.              Timothy Keller, “Counterfeit Gods”