Why are You so Harsh with Yourself?

Agranddad was talking with his very upset granddaughter. She told him she’d been talking to herself, and, well, “Things were said.”

I laughed when I read that, but I often say harsh and negative things to myself. I’m sure you do too.

We, too often, believe the negative, harsh things we say to ourselves, along with Satan’s lies. We, too seldom, praise God.

No wonder we aren’t more joyful.

Remind Yourself

Remind yourself that you are God’s workmanship, His poem.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Remind yourself that you are God’s beloved.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Ephesians 5:1)

You [believer in Christ] who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. (Jude 1)

But not Perfect

We are not to “beat ourselves up” for current or past sins. All that does is debilitate us, and make it harder to walk in newness of life.

We are to confess and repent, of course.

We should also remind ourselves that God is working in us and will keep working until the Day of Christ Jesus.

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Resolve To:

Become aware of what you say to yourself.

STOP beating yourself up.

Confess and repent, of course, as the Holy Spirit brings sins to mind.

STOP confessing the same thing over and over.

Remind yourself that God is faithful to forgive when you confess.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Praise God

The cure for much of what ails us is to praise our awesome, almighty God.

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Pressing On Together