Freedom from the Inside Out

When life got hard, I ran from God. I grew up going to church, but nobody explained to me what He as a person is actually like. Looking back, I can see I focused on following rules rather than growing a relationship with Him. I misunderstood God’s love and righteousness. I followed the journey of the prodigal son—I turned away from God and chose a path of destruction.

When my brother died, it shook my faith. I was angry at God. I ran as far and as fast as I could. Running away didn’t make me happy, and it didn’t make me whole. Instead, it filled me with an overwhelming amount of shame and guilt. When I had nowhere else to turn and cried out to God, I felt even more shame. I knew in my heart that He never left me, which meant He was there for all of it. The bad decisions, the dark thoughts, the sin. I wanted peace and love, but I looked for them in the wrong places. And God was there through all of it. How could He still love me? How could He forgive me?

I needed grace, mercy, and forgiveness. These are all things God gives freely and abundantly. It’s true that He was present for my sin, but it’s also true that He loved me through it. All I had to do was seek forgiveness and turn back toward Him. He would run to me with compassion, embracing me with open arms. Our Father rejoices when what was lost becomes found—when what once was dead comes back to life.

It’s easy to get caught up in our guilt and shame. We think that while God forgives other people, He could never forgive the terrible things that we do. But I’ve learned that isn’t how it works. We all sin, but Ephesians 1:7 says that because of Jesus, we are forgiven and made new through his blood. 1 John 1:9 instructs that we need to confess our sins, and God will forgive us and purify us.

God offers us freedom from the inside out, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. No matter what we have done, if we repent, we are forgiven. That is His promise, and He is faithful to keep His promises.

Application Questions:

• Is there shame or guilt in your life that you are holding on to instead of handing over to God?
• When you think about God running to embrace you like the father in the story of the prodigal son, how does that change the way you see Him?

Prayer:

"Dear God, give me the strength to let go of the things that are holding me back from You. Please forgive me for my sins and help me release this shame and guilt I have been carrying. I need the grace, mercy and peace that only You can provide. Thank you for loving me even in my sin. Amen."

Samantha Poorman
Orlando, USA
Jesus Film Project