This is part 2 of a 5-part series. View the entire series here.
The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. – Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
Have you ever woken up in the morning and immediately been so overwhelmed by the thought of a new day that you just want to throw the covers over your head and go back to sleep? Life is hard, confusing, scary, frustrating, and sometimes just downright exhausting. The weight we carry on a day-to-day basis as a result of that can be crushing.
One of the heaviest burdens we hold onto is shame. Shame for something unkind we said to a loved one, shame for the ways we failed to reflect Jesus, shame for a persistent sin pattern we can’t seem to shake.
Feeling bad for wrong things we’ve done (or right things we’ve failed to do) is healthy to a point. When we have the Holy Spirit living in us, He convicts us of our sin, which leads us to repentance. Being remorseful of our sin is evidence that our hearts have not become hardened to the reality of our brokenness and our need for God’s grace and forgiveness.
But shame can quickly become unhealthy when we continue carrying it even after we’ve repented and received God’s forgiveness. There have been many times I’ve woken up remembering the shame of the day before—only it feels like the shame has doubled. Even after I’ve gone to God and asked His forgiveness, I have a hard time believing He’s not frustrated with me. I have a hard time accepting that He has any mercy left to give.
If you’ve ever felt the same, our verse today offers such comfort. It’s a reminder that God’s mercy never runs out. First John 1:9 promises that those who come to Him in genuine repentance will always be forgiven: “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (NLT).
And not only are we forgiven—we’re fully and completely loved by God, who is always faithful. There’s never a moment when His love for us wavers. Shame will try to convince us that we’ve messed up too many times to go to God again, that surely by now we’ve exhausted His grace and patience. But God couldn’t possibly love us more than He does right now, and every morning when you wake up, He has a fresh supply of mercy to offer.
Stop and ask God where you’re holding onto shame that you need to let go of. He doesn’t want you to carry burdens you don’t need to carry. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “‘Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’” (NLT).
Today, let yourself receive the gift of His easy yoke and His never-ending mercy.
Prayer
God, I confess that sometimes I hold onto shame because I feel like I don’t deserve Your mercy and forgiveness. I have chosen sin so many times, it seems impossible that You could still have patience for me. Help me to let go of all the burdens I don’t need to carry. Help me rest in You love today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
