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Condemnation is a thief in people's lives. It will cause us to feel inadequate and produce low self-esteem and self-worth. Condemnation is defined as "an inward state of being based on a person's belief that they are strongly disapproved of." They have declared themselves guilty and they have inflicted a penalty upon themselves that they are unfit for use. This is where a lot of people live today, whether in the church or out of it. They did something they deem unforgivable by either someone else or themselves.  No matter the cause, that's an awful place to be. The feelings this place in life will spawn are low self-esteem, anger and depression; and those are dangerous for relationships. We can avoid this misery by understanding that it's not from God and it is not healthy emotion. It is self-inflicted based on lack of understanding and bad teachings of God and His Word.

 

We must believe in God and understand that He will forgive when we repent. We can move forward, but if we believe our actions are unforgivable, condemnation and self-loathing will result. This sense of being unworthy can lead to eating disorders, people cutting themselves and doing things that destroy their lives. The only real remedy is to ask Jesus to come into your heart. Romans 10: 9 and 10 says, "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Believe God that when you honestly ask for forgiveness, you'll be forgiven. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  - I John 1:9

Just a thought.  God bless.

PSS

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When we get up in the morning, most of us want to feel secure in life. We as people place our security in many different things. Some of us place it in people, so when someone lets us down, we become decimated. Some of us place it in our job and we've seen (what looks to be) a secure business go under. Whatever it is that becomes our god or savior becomes the thing that we serve. The Bible says not to put your trust in uncertain riches that are here today and gone tomorrow. We need to be secure in who created us, the earth and all that is in it. If we are secure in God, we can handle any situation that is thrown at us. So many people put their trust in the wrong things and that's why they are hurting and broken.  If we choose to put our trust in God, He is faithful and can be counted on.

Where does your security lie? Have we mistakenly put our trust in something that will fail one day or are we willing to trust in someone who will never fail? "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9 - 10

Just a thought,  God bless.

PSS

False expectations are destructive and have ruined many people's lives. A false expectation is when you believe something that is not true or based on bad information. When you hope for something and it doesn't happen, it can ruin you. The same can be said when something unexpected happens based on those hopes. It can even cause us to go in an unhealthy direction. If you believe God should help you based on the thought that "I'm a good person," you are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. This can also result in a controlling and critical attitude. This will cause you and those close to you to be unhappy. You may think, "If I can control the situation and the people involved, I can keep myself from getting hurt." We can barely control ourselves much less control others!

We may even develop a critical attitude that will make us unlikable. People won't want to be around us and we will be miserable on the inside. Our outlook on life would be dim with no hope. We would be negative and pessimistic about life in general. So let's seek truth, get all the facts and make sure that what we believe is true. Don't allow your attitude to turn sour due to bad information.

Just a thought, God bless.

PSS

Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt like you've been doing all the right things? You've been spending time in God's Word and praying, you've been kind to people and serving God. Then, all of a sudden, something happens and things start to fall apart and you begin asking God "Why" since you've been "doing all the right things."

We have a promise from God that says "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land," (Isa.1:19). So we are to expect that God will take care of us and will provide for us, as we are willing and obedient to His word. It doesn't mean we won't go through hard times.

God gave us eternal life and grace to live according to His Word, but He doesn't owe us anything. What happens with a lot of people is that they get into the mindset of, "God, I've been good, I did a good deed, I served you, so now you owe me," This is what causes people to stumble and fall; the thought that God didn't help you even though you've been so good.

It's a trap. Serve the Lord because it is the right thing to do and because you are thankful He saved you. Don't serve the Lord just to get something. He will help, guide and protect us. He doesn't owe us anything, because He will honor His Word.

Just a thought. God bless.

PSS

As we look at the world we live in and see the corruption, the lies the ill will and a culture and government that is out of control, we must maintain a heart of compassion towards our fellow man. Compassion says, "How can I help, and what can I do?" Not to be confused with sympathy, which basically says "I feel bad / sorry for you." Compassion is sincere concern and is what motivates people to be generous. Compassion is what's lacking in our culture. We lack the "How can I help," attitude.

Today, people don't want help; they just want someone to agree with them so that they can feel better about whatever they may be doing. But to have compassion on someone comes from a generous heart that is not concerned about what someone might think of them, but is concerned with someone doing better. We should all work on having more compassion towards people. Why? Because they are worth it.

Just a thought.  God bless.

PSS