Room For Redemption

I remember walking in my counselor’s office broken, tattered and torn.  I was in a dark place and I told him that.  He listened to me share a lot of things I have done, many of which I was not proud of and suffering for.  I will never forget any of the words that he said to me especially on that day.  I was having a hard time coping with life, situations and everything inside me was in turmoil.
This is what he said:

Control your feelings
But don’t deny them
You are human
Give yourself room for redemption
Because we ALL need it!

I walked out of that room feeling like such a weight was lifted off my chest.  That was in December of 2013.  Sometimes we forget what Jesus Christ did for all humanity.  He died for ALL our sins which will encompass past, present and future.  He took our burdens to the cross and our sickness and shame.  Isn’t that what the word declares?  That is why Jesus said on the cross “It is finished” in John 19:30.  As humans, we always see from a human perspective and not from a spiritual and biblical perspective.  God sent His one and only Son for this purpose.  

Isaiah 53:4-6
“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

I recently took communion at a church even a couple of weeks ago.  I remember still thinking about things I have done wrong.  Then they put an image of Jesus Christ going to the cross.  I sat in my seat with the cup and bread in uncontrollable tears.  I had the most intimate moment with God at that point.  I knew in my mind that we will always think the worst but we have to know the best.  That is what Jesus did for all.  He redeemed me.  He redeemed us all.  I am no different from any person across this earth.  We are all flesh beings in need of a savior.  For EVERYONE has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.  That is our nature and we needed that redemption.  So let us stop focusing on everything that we have done and focus on the one thing that He has done for us all.

Perhaps someone at this very moment needs to hear this right now.  Stop beating yourself up for things you have done wrong or things that went wrong.  Stop beating others up for their things as well.  We need a heart that embraces this redemption.  A heart that forgives because it costs us more pain to hold on to sin and shame.

Give yourself and others room for redemption.