Circles

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Photo by Luis Miguel Martínez Bonilla 

A few days ago I was reading a devotional and within that the author, Priscilla Shirer, told a story of a donkey that spent its life walking in a circle giving rides to little children at fairs. When this donkey was "retired" it went to spend the rest of its days in a huge, beautiful pasture. Instead of roaming around its new land it just walked in circles, because that is all it had ever known. The point of her analogy was to show us that as Christians we have been given a new life, and to question why we keep walking in the circles of unforgiveness, shame and guilt.

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; an new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

If you, in your heart, have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, knowing that he died for our sins, then you are born again (made new). This should be exciting news! As believers, we are not called to remain in those circles of guilt and shame. If you are sinning, then ask for forgiveness, work on stopping the behavior, and most of all give it to God. When I stay stuck in the circle of shame, or guilt, I don't want others to know what is really going on, I pull away and stop doing what I should. To combat that you need to pray, give it to God and get into the word of God. In verse 18 of 2 Corinthians it says, "And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ." We have been given a gift, not a handout, an actual gift from God. No matter your past sins, He loves you! No matter the future sins, they can be forgiven and He will still love you.

Let go of your old life. It should not define you any longer. This is not to say we won't be tempted and that we won't fall because we are far from perfect, but you are in a new life and you know the truth. Peace is found with God and it has no room for shame. Read the book of Romans, it is a letter from Apostle Paul to a church in Rome. It talks about God's plan for us and it is a must read if you are stuck in the circle of shame and guilt. I pray for you and send you love.

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
                                                                                                    Romans 5:3-5












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