Embrace God’s Grace

This powerful excerpt reminds us that no matter how far we’ve fallen or how heavy our guilt feels, we can always embrace God’s grace and begin again. Using the story of Peter’s failure and restoration, it shows how grace is the key to breaking free from shame, addiction, and self-condemnation. When we surrender our struggles to Him, God offers not just forgiveness—but a fresh start filled with purpose and peace.

Learning to accept grace for ourselves can be one of the most difficult yet liberating aspects of winning the battle over addiction. It’s about letting go of the heavy burden of shame and guilt and allowing ourselves to experience God’s unconditional love.

When we embrace grace, we find freedom from the chains of self-condemnation and discover a newfound sense of worth and belonging.

There’s real joy in knowing we don’t have to accomplish our healing on our own. It’s through His power alone that we conquer our problems, our addictions, and our frustrations. Grace can help us in any situation where we find it impossible to work it out in our own strength. It brings us through the trials of life with Him at the controls and empowers us with His capabilities.

Simply put, grace is the power that says He is in command of all situations—no matter what.

You Can Begin Again

Pause for a moment and reflect on the boundless mercy of God’s love. He yearns to help us, to guide us, and to lead us into genuine freedom in Him. Yet, He’ll never impose His will upon us. He grants us the freedom to go our own way (even if it leads to failure), but He also offers His help when we seek His divine victory.

Often, pride tricks us into holding onto our worries and troubles, convincing us that we can handle everything ourselves. But even if you’re a commendable person, you’ll be lousy at playing God! You’re burdened the most when you attempt to shoulder responsibilities that God never intended for you to carry. Conversely, acknowledging that He is God, and you are not brings great peace (Psalm 46:10).

The apostle Peter beautifully articulated this process when he wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7 ESV).

As believers, we’re blessed with the privilege of bringing all our concerns before God’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Unfortunately, many of us allow guilt and shame to keep us from approaching God’s throne with our needs. However, the Bible assures us that God will forgive us and restore us after we’ve stumbled in our faith. When we confess our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior, our sins are forgiven, and we’re free to live in His goodness and mercy!

You can look at the apostle Paul’s life as a prime example. Before his conversion, he persecuted Christians and considered himself the “foremost” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15 ESV). Yet, instead of dwelling on his past sins, Paul boldly proclaimed in Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

But even though we’ve been declared “the righteousness of God” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), one thing often hinders our full restoration: our struggle to forgive ourselves!

Can you believe it? The holy God who created the universe declares us not guilty because of His Son’s sacrifice, yet we still feel as if we’re under His judgment!

Peter experienced this same struggle at one point. After denying Jesus, Peter was filled with fear and disgust at his own actions. His self-reliance vanished, replaced by the belief that Jesus could never forgive him or use him again.

In John 21, Peter attempted to return to his former life as a fisherman, assuming his ministry days were over. However, Jesus had called Peter to a higher calling—to be a “fisher of men” (Matthew 4:19). In a tender moment, Jesus appeared to Peter, performed another miraculous catch of fish, and recommissioned him for ministry: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17)!

If you’ve stumbled or fallen in some way, know that Jesus offers you forgiveness and restoration today. Can you sense His desire to give you a fresh start and shower you with His grace and favor? Do you hear His loving heartbeat calling you back to fruitful service in His Kingdom?

Interestingly, Peter’s failure was a necessary part of his future success. Why? Because the prideful, self-reliant Peter wasn’t truly usable by God! Only when Peter was broken could he fully grasp his need for God’s grace and power.

The wonderful news is that Jesus didn’t leave Peter in a place of defeat. After his denial, Peter profoundly discovered God’s grace. On the Day of Pentecost, he became the “fisher of men” that Jesus had called him to be, leading to the salvation of 3,000 people (Acts 2).

Perhaps you’re struggling today with a stronghold in your life. If so, take heart—Peter’s story offers a powerful message. Through God’s amazing grace, a new beginning is possible. Your failures don’t have to be the end. Each failure can be replaced by His faithfulness and favor.

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Excerpt taken from Simple Steps to Overcoming Addiction by Inspiration Ministries

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