13th of June, 2016. (Download PDF)
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Hello! Good Morning! Thank you for studying Inspiration Daily today! God bless you!
TITLE: “FORGIVE YOURSELF 2”
INSPIRATION: Repent! Learn! And turn to God! Depression will not get you to Heaven!
Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
A medical paper described the common symptoms of depression, they are sadness, feeling down, having a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, loss of energy, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Over 350 million people are affected and this number is increasing everyday! In this part of the world, many won’t admit they are depressed. One of the most common symptoms of depression is Self-loathing; it is a strong feeling of worthlessness or guilt, harshly criticizing yourself for perceived faults and mistakes. Does this not sound like Judas Iscariot who committed suicide after betraying Jesus Christ?
Judas couldn’t come to terms with what he did, even though mercy and Grace would have given him another chance, God already knew, long before that day that Judas won’t forgive himself and he won’t want to receive God’s mercy for this strong feeling of guilt. I tell you, this feeling of guilt rather than repentance didn’t get him to heaven. On the contrary, remember Peter, who denied Jesus three times, he regretted his actions, he was so sure before that he won’t betray Jesus, he was self-loathing and withdrew from his purpose. But thank God Peter was able to forgive himself and received the mercy of God, he repented, learnt from his mistake and moved on to fulfilling purpose. King David too, he lusted, committed adultery, lied and murdered a man unjustly. But he went back to God for he understood mercy, received it, and repented. His repentance was complete when he forgave himself for he still took very good care of Bathsheba and Solomon; he forgave himself and didn’t hide from the result of his sin.
Not forgiving yourself is not a guarantee to receiving mercy, neither is it an acceptable sign of remorse in the Kingdom. It didn’t work for Judas and it won’t work for you. Repentance is key! Draw back to God! Learning the lesson and turning from got what you there is the only true way. FYI, depression is not the guarantee; Jesus Christ took depression away and brought Grace; and do, stand up, and move forward!
#Thoughtoftheday
Acts 17:30 “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Have a lovely day!