What brings you to your knees? Is it the weight of your sin—the shame, the regret, the feeling that you’ve fallen too far? Or is it something greater? Could it be the overwhelming presence of a holy and loving God who sees you—not just your sin, but who you truly are in Christ.
What is more powerful—staring at our sin or staring at the face of God?
For many of us, the weight of sin feels unbearable. Maybe you’ve acted on desires you didn’t want, in ways that don’t align with your values. Maybe it was sexting another guy or an anonymous encounter. And now, the shame is crushing. You feel like you’ve failed God, failed yourself, and failed the people who love you.
Sometimes it may feel like all anyone sees is your sin. Maybe you even believe that’s all God sees too. But let me tell you something: That’s a lie. Romans 3:23 says, ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ That’s all of us. Every single one. But here’s the good news: That verse doesn’t end there. It goes on to say, ‘and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.’
Let your sin humble you, but don’t let it define you. It doesn’t have the final word. God does. And His word is grace.
So what happens when we stop staring at our sin and start staring at the face of God? In Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah has this incredible encounter with God. He says, ‘I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne, and the train of his robe filled the temple.’ And in that moment, Isaiah is overwhelmed. He cries out, ‘Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.’
Isaiah saw his sin, yes. But more importantly, he saw God’s holiness. And here’s the beautiful part: God didn’t leave him in that place of shame. He cleansed him. He called him. He sent him out with a purpose.
That’s what God does. He doesn’t just convict us of our sin—He transforms us. He moves us from shame to surrender, from guilt to grace. And for you, right now, that means lifting your eyes from the weight of your sin to the One who can actually heal you.
Because when God sees your sin, He first sees His child. He sees who you are in Christ. And He’s not here to condemn you—He’s here to heal you.
A Personal Story
Let me share something personal with you. Last year, I did something I wasn’t proud of—something I had never done before. It was crushing. The weight of it felt unbearable. But I knew I couldn’t carry it alone, so I confessed—to my wife, to my community, to my clients, and most importantly, to God. There were three things that truly helped me begin to heal and move forward.
First, a wise and caring counselor gave me a powerful tool. He told me to expect the scene of my sin to replay in my mind—and it did, over and over. But he said, ‘When it does, rewrite it.’ He encouraged that when I picture myself reaching for something lesser, to instead, imagine the hand of Christ taking mine. To picture looking up and seeing His face—not with disappointment, but with love. To see Him leading me by the hand to a place of safety and healing. That image changed everything for me.
Second, when I shared with a friend that I felt like I had a scarlet letter on my chest, he said something I’ll never forget. He looked at me and said, ‘Huh, that’s funny, Jason. All I see is a cross.’ That one sentence reminded me of who I am in Christ—not defined by my sin, but redeemed by His sacrifice.
And third, my friends didn’t pull away from me. They moved toward me. They walked with me. They made sure I didn’t lose myself in my sin, but instead, that I lost myself in God. They helped me see the pain beneath my sin and spoke into it with love and truth. It was beautiful.
Those three things—rewriting the scene, remembering the cross, and walking with others—became lifelines for me. And I want you to know, they can be lifelines for you too.
I also need to tell you I had an unfair advantage: my wife. Her forgiveness and support did what almost nothing else could.
What are You Staring at?
So let me ask you: What are you staring at? Are you fixated on your sin, replaying your mistakes over and over again? Or are you lifting your eyes to the One who can actually heal you? Hebrews 12:2 tells us to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ Why? Because staring at Him changes everything.
I know it’s hard. I know shame can feel like a scarlet letter on your chest. But that’s not how God sees you. When Peter walked on water in Matthew 14, he only started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm. And isn’t that what we do? We sink under the weight of our sin because we’re staring at it instead of staring at Him. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we find the strength to stand—even in the midst of our brokenness.
I want to challenge you to shift your focus. When you feel the weight of your sin, don’t let it crush you. Instead, let it lead you to the feet of Jesus. Spend time in His Word. Meditate on His promises. Here’s one to start with: 1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’
You don’t have to carry the weight of your sin alone. You don’t have to stare at it endlessly. Lift your eyes. Stare at the face of God. And let His holiness, His love, and His grace bring you to your knees—not in shame, but in awe.
You’ve got this!