Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.               Joel 2:13

I am always amazed when I watch my boys get in trouble or mess up on something   especially after they try to convince their mom and me that they are innocent. You know what I am   talking about: our young boys, 6 and 4-years-old get grumpy and mad. Sometimes they throw a fit or a toy and then stomp off just to pout. I just have  to shake my head and wonder why they keep punishing themselves when all they need to do is say, “Yes, I messed up, I am sorry.” Then they can hear me say, “Okay, I forgive you, let’s try not to do that again. I love you.” How much easier it would be for them to just confess instead of beating themselves up. In today’s reading from Joel, we see him telling God’s people to do the same: “Rend your heart and not your garment,” which can be read as, Stop beating yourself up for your mistakes by tearing your clothes, (which was a Jewish practice one did to show remorse.) Just tell God you’re sorry.  Because what God wants more than anything is to bring you back into a relationship with him, He doesn’t desire to punish us or watch us punish ourselves. God is “slow to anger and abounding in love.”

So what are you berating yourself for that God desires you to turn over to Him, so you can hear Him say that He forgives you and loves you? May today you give to God all that keeps you from living openly into his gifts of grace and freedom. “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of God, his holy mountains. It is beautiful in his loftiness, the joy of the whole earth!”  Psalm 48:1

Prayer: Lord, thank you for forgiving us for all the wrong we do. Help us to stop beating ourselves up and start living as one forgiven. Amen.