FAITHteen | Issue #19

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From regretting to justifying
do you make the leap?
By Pat Rinker

Have you ever rethought how you view something because you’re not comfortable with what you did? It could also be because of something someone close to you has done. Some examples could be:

• Saying something cruel about a friend makes you feel awful so you think back to something bad they did to you and convince yourself that you were justified.
• You cheat on a test and begin to feel guilty but convince yourself that if you had more time you would have gotten the better grade so it’s okay.
• You get involved sexually with someone and you look around and see that many others are also involved so it must be all right.

We call this rationalization. It allows us to continue in our negative behavior until we ourselves have changed. Our conscience becomes more oriented toward what is evil than what is good. Using the examples above, we could become vindictive, gossipy, sexually promiscuous, and dishonest. How would these attributes look if they developed together?

We cheat on someone we are dating, rationalize it – and lie when confronted. People no longer know what to believe regardless of what we say or do. Not only can we do this as individuals but we can do it as a society.

I believe that has happened with abortion. How do we admit that we have taken a human life? How do we admit that those we know and love have taken a human life? How do we admit that we have become a nation that supports the right to do this? We rethink what is in the mother’s womb to justify the behavior. Textbooks would have to change in how they deal with life in the womb. We would camouflage it with other issues and justify it by majority rule,. After all, we are a democracy. Why does this happen?

There may be many reasons – but I would like to focus on one. One reason is that we feel so awful about what we have done that we can’t face ourselves. We can’t forgive ourselves. We don’t believe others can forgive us. We wonder how God can. In light of all that pain, we rationalize in order to bear the load.

The truth is God always forgives us. There isn’t a thing in life you have done or could do that God won’t forgive. None of us are free of guilt , so set aside any judgement; we are all in need of God’ forgiveness. Don’t listen to self-righteous people who may make you feel rotten to the core. Know that God’s grace is always greater.

You know the song Amazing Grace? You know why the words are “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me?” The writer of the song was a slave trader who became a Christian. He was so overwhelmed by the enormous mercy of God that he wrote about it. We’ve been singing about it ever since. He left slave trading behind and became someone holy for God.

If you are a person who has begun to rationalize negative behavior because you can’t deal with the wrong you have done, then please do the following:

• Talk to God now. Begin to believe that God loves you and forgives you. He made you in His image.
• Go to the sacrament of reconciliation. Celebrate God’s love and grace for you.
• Read Scripture and let God’s thoughts become your thoughts.
• Change your behavior to fit your God-like thoughts.
• Know that you are a son or daughter of God and never give in to a negative self-image.

When you do something, wrong go to God. He’ll always be there for you.

“For God so loved the world that he gave up His only Son so that whoever believes in him will not die but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Also read Romans 8:35-39. God’s love will always be there for you. Peace!

Love in Jesus,
Pat Rinker

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