No one is perfect. We’ve all made mistakes.

Maybe you stole money from your dad’s dresser and blamed your sibling when he found out.

Maybe you took some of your mom’s jewelry without asking and lost it.

Or maybe you borrowed some of your older brother’s/sister’s stuff and ruined it on accident.

We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. And we’ve all hurt others in the process of doing those things. When we hurt others or ourselves by lying or hiding the truth, we sin. And when we sin, we hurt God.

Thankfully, God doesn’t stop loving us when we mess up. Nor does He love us more when we do good things. He loves us with “an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), a love that doesn’t depend on what we do or say.

When we mess up, when we sin and hurt God, He calls us back to Him with loving kindness. And when we confess our sins and say we’re sorry, He forgives us and helps us do the right thing.

John promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). So don’t be discouraged the next time you mess up.

Ask God for forgiveness and always remember that His love is everlasting.