01/22/2026
Sometimes forgiving self is more difficult than forgiving others. Have you ever found yourself thinking about past mistakes and thinking "I'm not worthy of forgiveness"? Maybe you hurt someone close to you and have found it difficult to mend that relationship, even to this day.
It is our testimony too, but we are thankful for the revelation God gave to us, to use our testimony for restoration. From rejection to restoration!
Think of this, 25 years before the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, he was on his way to murder Christians. God intervened on the road to Damascus and from there forward he called himself a bond slave of Christ. He knew he couldn't bring those lives back or repair the damage to the families he devastated, but he didn't allow his shame, guilt, and regret to stop him from being a devoted witness for Christ.
Paul was human, there were times he thought back of the great harm and devastation he caused. The new creation in Christ that Paul became used His pain for good. He allowed his past mistakes to humble himself but he also forgave himself because he recognized that Christ forgave him first. He used his testimony to write 13 books of the Bible. He helped fallen believers get back up. He corrected churches. He wrote from prison of his great love for Christ and others. He planted churches. Jesus himself told Paul he was chosen to be a witness. God chose a murderer to build the kingdom of God.
If we can't forgive ourselves, how can God use our testimony for good?
If God can use a murder like Paul, He can use us too.