Sometimes, we face our inner selves. We might struggle with our self-image and wonder, “Am I making it? Am I good enough?” 

I wonder why God made us this way. Why does our conscience accuse us so much, making us feel so bad about ourselves? Maybe our conscience was damaged by the Fall and now goes in the wrong direction. 

The devil uses this flaw to hold us back. These negative thoughts about ourselves, our success, and our salvation are weeds planted by the evil one. 

We often don’t realize these negative thoughts hold us back and keep us from getting where we need to be. Thinking, ‘I’m not good enough, so why bother starting?’ is a common trap. 

Yes, I often catch myself criticizing myself harshly. When I lie in bed unable to sleep, I tend to replay my mistakes. Then, I say such terrible things to myself that I wouldn’t dare say aloud in front of anyone. 

If you tell a child they’re not good enough, they will end up believing it and act accordingly. The same apply to you and me. If we continue to say negative things about ourselves, we’ll start believing it and act accordingly. 

It’s stupid to hold yourself back like that. It prevents you from achieving the plan God has for you. 

Our value is not determined by who we are, what we do, and what we have already achieved. Our value is determined by our title. We are children of the almighty Father. 

And as the saying goes: “God made no junk!” I have value. I am very valuable. I am something because God created me and chose me to be His child. 

No matter what I do or don’t do. I can’t strip myself of this status, nor anyone else. 

We will certainly do things that don’t fit the children of God. We will push against boundaries, or most of us will, and sometimes we’ll fall over the boundaries. And the fall will make us realise we’ve hurt something, and it is not necessarily ourselves who is in pain. 

We’ll have to get up, climb back over the boundary, forgive ourselves, plead guilty to others and wait for their forgiveness. This is not easy for everyone. 

But then we must dust off our status as a child of God and believe it and live it. Let us live with our brokenness and mistakes, knowing who we are in God. Then we can live like Jesus and live love everywhere we go. 

19This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. 

Scripture
1 John 3:19-24 

Reflection
What is your conscience bothering you about?
How can you reduce the impact of your conscience?
How can you increase your status as a child of God? 

Prayer
Father, yes, I sometimes struggle to keep my head above water with my conscience. Help me to keep on believing that I’m Your child, no matter what I’ve done. Amen.