A listener named Joe explains that he’s struggling with self-hatred and moving beyond a past sin, even though he has already confessed the sin. He asks for Father Dave’s advice for moving on.
Father Dave responds, “We can be disgusted by our sins, but we should hate the sins, and not ourselves. Who you are is created in the image and likeness of God. And God loves you unconditionally … I would encourage you to see who you are as distinct from that sin.”
“It is time to start doing some work towards healing … One of the first steps to move toward healing is to hate the sin and feel remorse.I would strongly encourage you to hear and believe that God has genuinely forgiven you. You said that you are wholeheartedly sorry, so what you are struggling with here is your own guilt.”
Father Dave suggests moving away from the language of hating oneself and directing the negative feelings towards the action that he is not proud of. He explains that we should not allow our sin to define ourselves or the way we view our worth.