How Can I Forgive Myself?

[ButterflyWingW]

For a few years I was caught up in a nasty habit of self pleasuring. It literally tore me away from God. Because I deal with anxiety I couldn’t bear to think about what I did so I would just pretend it never happened, which means I still took Communion even though I shouldn’t have. I would go to Confession and then slip up again and it was just this vicious cycle. As of now, I’ve been to confession and have stayed pure, even when fighting urges when it’s “that time of the month”. I’ve always been in love with waiting till marriage and I do plan on that but ever since I had those problems I’m worried I’m not really pure or worth as much when it comes to that. Also, even though I’ve confessed what I did and honestly regret it I still feel the need to confess it. I know everybody gets urges and it’s really not a big deal as long as you don’t act on them or do things to further them but I just feel so guilty. I know God has forgiven me but I just can’t figure out how to forgive myself. Also, my anxiety makes me feel as if I wasn’t really sorry even though I was and it’s all just so confusing. Help me please!

 

[Dymphna82]

I suppose we just have to keep confessing. It’s so easy to slip back into old habits and addictions. It’s even easier to do so when we give up confessing.

 

[tawny]

Praying to the Holy Spirit to give you guidance & direction in your time of need.

 

[hazcompat]

Prayer.

Lord, I am in this world to show Your mercy to others. Other people will glorify You by making visible the power of Your grace by their fidelity and constancy to You. For my part I will glorify You by making known how good You are to sinners, that Your mercy is boundless and that no sinner no matter how great his offences should have reason to despair of pardon. If I have grievously offended You, My Redeemer, let me not offend You even more by thinking that You are not kind enough to pardon Me.

Peace

I forget the author???

 

[SuperLuigi]

For a few years I was caught up in a nasty habit of self pleasuring. It literally tore me away from God. Because I deal with anxiety I couldn’t bear to think about what I did so I would just pretend it never happened, which means I still took Communion even though I shouldn’t have. I would go to Confession and then slip up again and it was just this vicious cycle. As of now, I’ve been to confession and have stayed pure, even when fighting urges when it’s “that time of the month”. I’ve always been in love with waiting till marriage and I do plan on that but ever since I had those problems I’m worried I’m not really pure or worth as much when it comes to that. Also, even though I’ve confessed what I did and honestly regret it I still feel the need to confess it. I know everybody gets urges and it’s really not a big deal as long as you don’t act on them or do things to further them but I just feel so guilty. I know God has forgiven me but I just can’t figure out how to forgive myself. Also, my anxiety makes me feel as if I wasn’t really sorry even though I was and it’s all just so confusing. Help me please!

If you’re confessing sins you’ve already validly confessed, you’re going down a damaging road.

You have to realize that you are forgiven in a valid confession. :yup:

Sexual sins can make us feel guilty, perhaps more so than necessary sometimes (like if we’ve confessed them). Going to Confession doesn’t always make guilty feelings go away but it does reset our relationship with God to a large degree.

I think with anxiety issues you need to talk with a priest outside of Confession and get some spiritual advice, because this is not how God wants us to live.

 

[ccmcmg]

When it comes to any sin that I have, big or small, that I seem to hold onto against myself, I ask myself, “Is my forgiveness bigger than God? Am I bigger than God?”

When I withhold forgiveness, I am saying that it is bigger than His. What a sin of pride, in my opinion, and I’ve been guilty of it.

But that’s what helps me to forgive myself.

 

[SuzanneD]

Because, who are we to withhold forgiveness when Christ has forgiven us?
That is one of the beauties of confession, hearing we are forgiven as well as receiving counsel on how to avoid sin.

 

[fred_conty]

For a few years I was caught up in a nasty habit of self pleasuring. It literally tore me away from God. Because I deal with anxiety I couldn’t bear to think about what I did so I would just pretend it never happened, which means I still took Communion even though I shouldn’t have. I would go to Confession and then slip up again and it was just this vicious cycle. As of now, I’ve been to confession and have stayed pure, even when fighting urges when it’s “that time of the month”. I’ve always been in love with waiting till marriage and I do plan on that but ever since I had those problems I’m worried I’m not really pure or worth as much when it comes to that. Also, even though I’ve confessed what I did and honestly regret it I still feel the need to confess it. I know everybody gets urges and it’s really not a big deal as long as you don’t act on them or do things to further them but I just feel so guilty. I know God has forgiven me but I just can’t figure out how to forgive myself. Also, my anxiety makes me feel as if I wasn’t really sorry even though I was and it’s all just so confusing. Help me please!

This is number 1 on the hit list of the Devil…to make you feel unforgiven…to doubt God.

The Devil knows that as long as you are anxious in your soul, that is darkness will keep you from furthering a more meaningful relationship with God. How can a person who believes he is not close to God and even maybe off the friendship list of God’s have a love relationship with him. He has tangled many a person up in these lies. He can be so successful that in some cases they give up.

Don’t let him do that to you. Use your weapon God gave you…your knowledge of your faith. It is strong. When the God/man said to the waters of Gallilee “stop”, they stopped. When God/Father said
“be created”, the world was created. When Jesus said to the sick man on the pallet, “your sins are forgiven”, they were erased. And when he says to you in confession, “I absolve you” you are absolved. …FAITH.

Don’t believe the lies of the Devil.

May God our Father give you grace and peace.