I messed up. You messed up. We all done messed up.
Self-justification is a damned curse. It’s an absolutely miserable way to live. It’s harder than trying to convince yourself you like to eat your vegetables. Besides, it’s an insufficient fix for how shameful we feel when we do wrong. For some of us, self justifying is the only hope we know. Mess up—do better next time. Rinse and repeat until you’re not sure you believe in your ability to be a good person anymore. Even if you don’t subscribe to the Bible as your source of morality, you’ve surely felt the spiraling disappointment of not measuring up to your own standards. This shame is what Jesus frees us from. But knowing him doesn’t magically make us not do wrong. Instead it allows us to take responsibility for our own actions and not be absolutely squashed by our own guilt and shame. Next time you feel shame, own it. Admit your fault and give it to Jesus. He has paid the price for your innocence—and he freely gives it to those who ask. And he might just change your heart in the process.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1John 1:9
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