In Part 1 I discussed whether God/Creator/Source can forgive others, but not you? What makes you think you are so much worse than other people? Maybe you did terrible things, knowingly, on purpose to hurt someone else. You aren’t the first; if you think God can’t or won’t forgive you, this is an issue of ego, too.
Part 2
Do you ever think that God forgives small things, but you did something so horrible, “he just can’t forgive this” Since God won’t forgive you, how can you forgive yourself? Let me give you two things to think about. First, look for self-forgiveness inside. Accept the present moment and grow forgiveness by letting go of your expectations of life. Love the present. It is perfect just the way it is, warts and all. A handicapped baby is still beautiful, and you, however “messed up” you may seem, are too. Second, thinking “God can’t forgive me” is very much limiting and personifying God. God is more than a being that gives or withholds love or forgiveness; he — or should I say “it” — is Love. God/Source/Spirit, is the very principle of Love. It is so great, so all-encompassing, so beyond-this-world… Spirit simply does not see us as a collection of things we have done. Your mistakes do not change God’s view of you, no matter how big they are.
To forgive yourself from “he just can’t forgive this” mistakes or “I knew better but did it anyway” mistakes, acknowledge that unbelievable forgiveness and grace envelopes all your ISSUES and can even remove the effects of them; it’s up to you to simply realize it. Stop focusing on the past, and put all your energy into how you spend this and every moment. It does not matter what you have done or not done since the mistake, today is a new day and you can start over, learning, moving on, and making a new commitment to love yourself and others the best you know how. Face your uncomfortable feelings and see what insights you receive. Give yourself TIME to listen.
You may have heard that when you forgive someone, it is more for your good, than for the person you are forgiving. When you won’t forgive someone, it hurts you, not them. Sometimes the person we need to forgive is dead, so it certainly doesn’t hurt them. When you refuse to forgive another, it is exactly the same as refusing to forgive yourself. What you do to another, you do to yourself. When you refuse to forgive, you are also refusing to love yourself, trust yourself, and allow yourself to be happy or have any peace. That’s not a very good way to live, without love or trust, happiness or peace. Unforgiveness is a dark cloud that hangs over you, and no matter what distraction you may try, it sticks to you like a leech. It may take a while, but grow the attitude of forgiveness — starting small is good — and soon you will be able to extend it to yourself and everyone who has wronged you.
Don’t forget that good comes from every bad experience. The good things can be very hard to see in the short term, but if you open your eyes and look — you may have to really search — you will see good coming out of your mistakes. Use the discovery of those good things to help you create more forgiveness in yourself, and dissolve your guilt.
So, tell yourself this: I am full of forgiveness. I am doing things every day to cultivate forgiveness in myself, and adopting an attitude of acceptance of everything in this moment. I take responsibility for myself, and I am kind to myself. Give yourself TIME to LISTEN to yourself.
If anyone wants to discuss something with me, please feel free to contact me at any point in time - I might not have all the answers but I have TIME and I can LISTEN.
Stay Blessed.
