Hey. So, I know that you feel like you've messed up a lot lately. "How?" You may be wondering. I'm right there with you. The guilt and the regret. The wondering what could be different if you would have just made a better decision. I know you feel like the classic screw up right now, but you don't have to.

I know this answer may seem too simple, but you are forgiven. Maybe not quite by yourself yet, or maybe not by someone you may have wronged. But when I tell you about this forgiveness, the other people won't matter nearly as much and forgiving yourself will become so much easier.

Forgiveness is extremely important and thanks to Jesus Christ, we have an abundance of it available to us. I know it may sound impossible when you consider how perfect our God is. But, hey, it's so true. You are forgiven before you even make the mistake. Before you even cheat on your test, or lie to your parents, or fail that class, or gossip about your friend, or go too far with your boyfriend...you are forgiven.

Jesus Christ says "(insert name here), I love you. I see you as perfect. I forgive you," he doesn't hold your sin against you, and he isn't going to look at you any differently. You are perfect to Him. And no amount of guilt or shame is going to change that.

So, when we think about how perfect our God is, it's so awesome to think about how forgiven we are. It makes being upset at yourself or feeling disappointment from someone else seem so small. God is ready to forgive us. He has His grace wrapped in a box ready to pour out and overflow. All we have to do is accept the gift. So, if you're feeling like you've just gotten it all wrong lately, keep this in mind. You are loved and you are forgiven; so don't be so hard on yourself.