I’ve talked before about King David, and that despite being described as “a man after God’s heart”, one of the mightiest kings in scripture was also an adulterer and a murderer.

But it didn’t change his place in God’s sight. I’ve written before about focusing on the good, the love, serving well, because if you’re focused on loving well, it becomes far more difficult to sin. If you have your neighbor’s best at heart, how will you sin against them? Which commandment can you break at the same time you’re loving well?

I’ve thought on this a lot and tried to live it. Here’s the thing: I get into my prayer times, and I DO focus on asking The Lord to empower me to focus and be the good I want to think on and see….but you know what else I focus on? Forgiveness. Now, you might be like, “we’re told to ask for forgiveness!” and you’d be correct! But…I’m specific about my sin. I dig in, roll it around in my mind, and before long, I’m beating myself up again for the shortcoming, and begging for forgiveness there’s a solid chance I received yesterday….and the day before that…and last month. You get it. Put it down and leave it there already!

I’m going to try a new thing. I’m going to limit the focus on my sin go-forward when I talk to my Father and Jesus. I will, as commanded, pray for the forgiveness and guidance Jesus told us to seek within the Lord’s Prayer. I will seek His forgiveness and to forgive others in my heart. What I’m not going to do: pontificate in my mind on just how horrible the sin is, that I am for having done it. I’m going to stop making sure He KNOWS that I KNOW just how deprived I believe myself to be (notice I didn’t say “am”). I think this thought process can allow a foothold for already-forgiven bad behavior or shame to re-enter my heart and mind.

Maybe you’ll try it with me and let me know if anything shifts in your perspective?

Folks, we ARE called to ask for forgiveness of our sins. What we are NOT called to is beating ourselves up over things because we think we deserve punishment. We/I do this because I don’t want God to think I’m minimizing or not taking responsibility for my actions.

But east to west people. He remembers our sin no longer. We’re punishing ourselves in ways He never intended.

Stop picking your sins back up because you think you deserve to carry the weight. He said it’s His. He wants it. It wasn’t yours to carry beyond the cross. Put down your shame and pick up His joy. Make it your strength today.