There's very few testimonies I listen to that don't do some backtracking--"I used to do this, or drink that or act a fool. That was me then; this is me now." I understand the effectiveness of these spoken journeys because they help the listener to engage, relate and understand that everyone is a mess at some point--and Christians make mistakes, too. But when I used to hear these drastic testimonies I used to feel something related to the thought: I wasn't rescued from "those" types of situations. I wasn't on drugs at any point before, nor was I abused or left for dead. Does that mean my testimony is less?

Of course the reality is, no. Thank God I didn't experience what some people have; it doesn't make my salvation any less important or any less attainable. Because the truth is, we don't have to earn anything. We already are who He's called us to be--it's just a matter of giving up our sins and transgressions to Him and allowing His sufficient grace to do the rest.

During the past few years of getting to know Him though, it has been difficult at times giving up my sin. I know He sees it and knows when I'll be tempted and give in, but I have to admit--it hasn't always been easy for me to not guilt myself because of my own faults. At times I've allowed the fact that I'm not perfect to keep me from His forgiveness and I've allowed myself to see myself through my eyes instead of His.

Why is it that sometimes we'd seemingly rather guilt ourselves than give it all up? That we'd rather hold on and wear our sins like a scarlet letter than to rebuke it and repent--to turn away from it instead of taking it to bed with us at night? In our society we've allowed ourselves to put self-responsibility high up on our values--which is a necessary trait--but at times that sense of self-proficiency has kept us holding onto things we need to let go of--because there's nothing that guilt will do except keep us away from the only one who can truly take it away.

Stop allowing your sin to define you by owning it and refusing to give it up. We all make mistakes but that doesn't make us failures in His eyes.