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Are You Condemned?

Do you condemn yourself?
Know those thoughts that tell you, “You’re not good enough.”
“Who are you to be doing that?”
“Why can’t I do anything right?”
Know where they come from?

God?
God does convict us of sin. 
Letting us know He is not pleased with us.
He brings us to a point of repentance, not self-abasement.

Once we repent, they are buried in the deepest sea (Micah 7:19), covered in the blood (Rev. 1:6).
Like a parent, God doesn’t remind us of all our failures.
When Jesus said, “It is finished” on the cross, He meant, I do not suffer the humiliation for those sins, nor their judgement. 
God does not continue to beat you up with your failures.

So where do those thoughts arise?
Satan is the Accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10).
He accused Job of worshipping God because he was blessed (Job 1:9-11).
He reminds us of our failures—every single one of them.
He uses those fiery darts (Eph. 6:16), those thoughts that make us feel “why bother?”, “You scum”, “You can’t do it.”
He beats us down with our past failures.

As we dwell on those thoughts, they paralyze us.
When we are concentrating on “me” and what “me” can’t do, we lose focus on what God can and will do.
Satan wins.
We are depressed.
And God is not pleased.

What should we do with those fiery darts of abasement, reminding us of our failures?

We can’t fight Satan alone.
Take those failures or those darts and give them to God.
Ephesians 6 goes in detail about the armor that we should be wearing and using—much of it depends on being in the Word and close to God. Get there!
Give them to God. 

By going to God with our failures, He gives comfort, shows His loved in providing answers, and He gives hope and victory.
Our failures are a means to give Him thanks and glory.
Turn our failures into reasons to give God thanks!

Our weaknesses should drive us to God, not hide from Him.
Our weaknesses help us glory in God’s strength, not make us feel we should try harder, or longer.

Condemned?
Yes.
But Jesus already took care of ALL of that.
A failure?
Unable to do what God commands us to do?
By myself, yes.
But I'm not doing this alone.
Those whispers of failure and inadequacy meant to defeat us by the enemy should drive us to God where our victory is sure and His love covers it all.


Displaying 1 comment

This is so true!

I have a friend who says that the Spirit of God speaks to us (even when showing us our sin) with words of life, light, and love. But Satan speaks words of darkness, death, and devastation.

Satan's whispers usually bring questions, doubts. But God's whispers bring clarity.

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

Faith
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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.