Devotion
Getting Back Up Again
Chipo Biti
The fall of Man was a terrible time. Not only had man disobeyed God, but they had lost the freedom, peace and comfort in having a relationship with God. Once they made the mistake and discovered they were naked, Adam and Eve ran to hide when God came to look for them. They hid because they were ashamed - they were ashamed of what they had done. Despite the fact that God was looking for them, Adam and Eve felt that they couldn't face Him. Not after what they had done.
That is what sin does to us. It makes us feel as if we cannot commune with God. When we make mistakes, the devil tries to take advantage of them and make us feel like we are less than who we actually are. The devil is bent on causing a divide between us and God. He will go at any length to do so. When we slip up and disobey God, the devil jumps in, ready to condemn us and make us feel like we are unworthy. If we are not knowledgeable of God's love and His everlasting mercy, we will end up falling for the enemy's trickery. The moment the enemy manages to make us feel less, he will keep on beating us down until we believe it.
God doesn't want us to see ourselves in that light. There is nothing we will gain from beating ourselves up. God doesn't delight in seeing it. That is not what He desires for our lives. When we make mistakes, we need to realize that God has forgiven us. This does not mean we deliberately repeat the offense. No. It simply means that we should focus our eyes back on Christ, and keep on moving forward. Guilt is not from God and neither is condemnation.
Prayer
We have been called to a life of freedom from the bondage of sin. Express your remorse for your actions, if you desire too, and repent. There is no need to punish yourself. That is not love. That is not God.
Even in the depth of your mess, God loves you and He will be there to pick you out of it, correct you, and show you the right way.