With a sick mother and four younger siblings at home, Diana and Floarea were desperate. So when a young man called them and said he could get Diana a work permit, they were ecstatic. She met him for dinner, where he gave her plenty of wine and then seduced her. Afterward, he gave her some money, and this became a pattern. Nothing more was said about a work permit, and Diana accepted the money because she was so desperate.
Diana continued to prostitute herself in order to support the family, although she was filled with guilt. Soon her sister became involved, and together they hid their shame. Now, as they looked into the face of their mother, they said, "How can you forgive us? We thought you would be disgusted."
She offered them words of love and comfort, "You feel shame over what you have done, and so you should. But this sense of shame and guilt will lead you to a shining righteousness. Remember, the soldiers not so much pierced Christ's side as "opened" it, that sinners might easily enter his heart and find forgiveness."
Being sorry for our sin and feeling sorry for ourselves are two different things. Many people who go through suffering feel sorry for themselves. They are all too eager to blame others for their misfortune. How tempting it would have been for the girls in this story to blame their mistakes on their father. "If he was not a Christian, then he would not have been arrested, and we would not be in this mess." Yet they came to their mother with true shame and repentance for their willful disobedience. And they found forgiveness.
Many times in life, our sufferings can take a toll on our lives. Suffering that is allowed to fester can send you into a dark place. Instead of releasing our pain to God, or even our family and friends, we begin to relish in it. It becomes part of us. A part that is a detriment to our lives, but we feel we can't live without it. Our sufferings and our pain become our existence. But Godly sorrow leads to repentance, which leads to forgiveness.
If we hand over our sufferings to God, take ownership of our mistakes and not push the blame on others, then true rehabilitation can begin. From true repentance comes the ultimate salvation from our sufferings.
2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Are you feeling sorry for yourself in your sufferings? Watch out! It can quickly lead you to disobedience.
