“…you have collapsed with your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the LORD, say to Him, forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good.”
What’s not to love about our God! Seriously! The LORD longed for Israel to return to Him for centuries when they ‘collapsed’ in their guilt seeking to fill their fear with the empty promises of the world. His longing for you and me is the same today in our Lord Jesus Christ. ALL sin works in the heart compounding itself in the form of distraction, apathy, shame, guilt, and even despair.
The Lord’s call to us millennia ago to ‘take words’ and ask for forgiveness isn’t the same process as seeking reprieve from a speeding ticket. Confession is also not an empty apology. You are loving God with all your heart by letting Him heal you, regardless of how ashamed or disappointed you feel about your mistakes.
Our Lenten sacrifices remind us how attached to things we are and even of our weaknesses when our resolve wavers about offering the Lord what He deserves. Even in all of our weaknesses, though, we should never collapse under the weight of guilt, because God has a track record of unwavering LOVE!
I have never seen the splendor of an olive tree, or smelled a Lebanon cedar, but I HAVE overcome my guilt by letting the Lord heal me in Confession (sometimes over and over again). It will likely smell like a Church when you go, but your heart will sing when he Heals you. A restored heart carries no burdens! This Friday hit the box (confessional) and take time to give your words to the Lord that result from the burdens you carry. Love Him with All your Heart.
Ryan Dellacrosse is the President and Founder of Fuzati, a strategic marketing firm, serving a host of Catholic clients. Find out more about Fuzati here.
Forgive me O Lord Jesus my sins, cleanse me that what I do and say may be for the good of YOUR KINGDOM, YOUR CHURCH AND MY FAMILY. AMEN