Six years ago I ruined my reputation and many burned bridges; irreparable damage.\u00a0 To this day I haven’t forgiven myself and neither have those who I’ve offended and hurt.\u00a0 No one will accept my apology; no one.\u00a0 The gossip has gotten so bad, that I’ve relocated several times in order to start fresh and put my past behind me.\u00a0 With every single relocation, I have been stalked by those in my past, who have the sole purpose of letting the entire world know what kind of person I am or was.\u00a0 It’s their sole mission to destroy me.\u00a0 To them, I’m nothing but garbage and it’s their intent to let everyone know this.\u00a0 As a result, I’m unable to move forward.\u00a0 I also believe that I’m being blackballed from my profession as a result of my past.<\/p>\n
Quite honestly, I’m getting what I deserve but on the flip side of the same coin, I’m extremely weary in my mind, body, spirit, and soul.\u00a0 I feel completely trapped.\u00a0 I have “zero” peace of mind.\u00a0 I’ve confessed to God that I’m getting what I rightfully deserved.\u00a0 I don’t blame God, the gossipers, or the people I’ve offended and hurt.\u00a0 Hindsight is 20\/20; could of, would of, should of, but I didn’t.\u00a0 I screwed up royally and now I’m paying for it.\u00a0 I’ve been paying for six years and will continue to pay, as long as I continue to reside where I am.<\/p>\n
“For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones are consumed” (Psalm 31:10).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I’ve prayed to God, asked Him to forgive my sins, and told Him that I’m getting what I totally deserve; but I’m so weary.\u00a0 These people won’t stop until I’m completely destroyed; it’s like they take complete joy in ripping me apart.\u00a0 What am I to do?<\/p>\n\t
Answer:<\/h2>\n
Words have little meaning compared to action. Just as a person detects a false teacher by his actions, the same is true about a righteous man. “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them<\/em>” (Matthew 7:16-20).<\/p>\n
Thus, the only response to sin in your past is a complete and dramatic change to righteousness. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter<\/em>” (II Corinthians 7:10-11).<\/p>\n
God’s forgiveness is complete, but men are not God. People offer words, but their actions often show something different. “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation<\/em>” (I Peter 2:11-12). God knows the truth and that is all that matters, but often you can live your life so that while others say bad things, your life declares something different and people will tend to believe what they see and not what they hear.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: Six years ago I ruined my reputation and many burned bridges; irreparable damage.\u00a0 To this day I haven’t forgiven myself and neither have those who I’ve offended and hurt.\u00a0 No one will accept my apology; no one.\u00a0 The gossip has gotten so bad, that I’ve relocated several times in order to start fresh and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[50,551],"class_list":["post-37135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-repentance","tag-reputation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36450,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-ruined-my-husbands-reputation-with-my-family-how-do-i-repair-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":37135,"position":0},"title":"I ruined my husband’s reputation with my family. How do I repair it?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good morning\u00a0my brother, I'm a believer and married. I have a problem that does not allow me to sleep. For the past three years my husband cheated on me with a woman I forgave him because I love my husband. He is a good husband apart from his mistake.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49865,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-got-pregnant-from-fornication-i-repented-of-it-but-does-it-need-to-be-confessed-before-the-entire-congregation\/","url_meta":{"origin":37135,"position":1},"title":"I got pregnant from fornication. I repented of it, but does it need to be confessed before the entire congregation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi. I recently wrote concerning confession of sin. I wrote a letter confessing my sin of fornication that resulted in pregnancy to the church elders. They called a meeting with me to discuss the letter. I was instructed to turn to James 5:16 in which they interpreted to me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25141,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-should-i-tell-my-girlfriend-that-im-not-a-virgin\/","url_meta":{"origin":37135,"position":2},"title":"When should I tell my girlfriend that I’m not a virgin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 5, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello. I have been looking over your site and have been blessed by it very much. I was looking for a question but couldn't find it, so I thought I would ask myself. I know that going into details about my sinful past with my current girlfriend isn't necessary,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49935,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-ruined-my-reputation-as-a-christian-do-i-have-to-marry-the-woman-i-had-sex-with\/","url_meta":{"origin":37135,"position":3},"title":"I ruined my reputation as a Christian. Do I have to marry the woman I had sex with?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello sir, I have read some of your answers related to\u00a0sexual sins, and I thought I would seek Godly help from you. I was a very strict Christian in my early life. However, after completing my education, I desired worldly things instead of growing in God. I am staying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54005,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-i-committed-adultery-in-the-past-does-that-mean-i-can-never-marry\/","url_meta":{"origin":37135,"position":4},"title":"If I committed adultery in the past, does that mean I can never marry?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello brother, After studying the Bible more, I look back on my life and feel ashamed of the sinful acts I've committed. I'm now at the point where I'm ready to marry, but I wonder if I scripturally can. 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