In May of last year, a story broke and quickly moved to many networks.  In Georgetown, Texas, a councilman dismissed himself to the restroom but forgot to turn off his microphone.  In the middle of a presentation by Mayor Pro Tem Rachael Jonrowe, the sounds of bodily function could be heard over the sound system.  Struggling to keep her composure, she finished the presentation interrupted by laughter and looks of embarrassment.  This is not the way anyone wants to make national headlines.

Let’s stop for a moment and think about something . . . What would we do if our mistakes made national news?  I am not talking about tripping on the sidewalk or spilling your glass of water in your lap.  I mean the mistakes that bring feelings of guilt and shame.  We would be humiliated if people knew these things and panic ensues when we think about them being national news.  There are parts of our lives that we have buried deep inside so that no one else would ever know about them, and we don’t want to think about them either.  They make us feel burdened and condemned.

I want you to know a great truth. You are fully known and you are fully loved.  Psalm 139:1 tells us, “O LORD, you have searched me and know me!” (ESV)  In the following verses, David tells the reader that nothing is hidden from the eyes of God.  He knows everything about everybody.  Often, there is a feeling of condemnation that accompanies this truth but please understand that Christ died for our sins fully knowing who we are and what we have done.  Please let me clarify one thing.  This does not mean that God approved of everything that you did, but it means there is the offer of grace through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

As a child of God, you are loved in spite of who you were and the things you have done.  There is nothing that can separate you from the love of your Heavenly Father.  He knows you at your worst and still loves you.  So, don’t walk in condemnation and guilt.  Let the finished work of Christ heal the wounds and set you free from the past.  However, I know there may be someone reading this that is not a child of God.  You have not confessed your sin and repented, turning to God in faith.  If that is you, please know that there is forgiveness in Christ.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”