God has not given us a spirit of fear or condemnation.  We are supposed to live free and full lives!

So it’s a problem when we become too self-critical.  Sure, there’s a place for Godly introspection and conviction.  Yes, there are times we need to change what we’re doing – to change direction and go the other way.

But too often Christians become very hard on themselves and the self-criticism becomes crippling.  Too often we are harder on ourselves than how God sees us — and that’s a problem!  That’s not a good place to live.  Do you see the chains above?  That’s what self-criticism does, it keeps you bound up.  That’s no good.

If any of this sounds like you, then I want to share some verses with you that you need to take to heart immediately.

Romans 8:14-15

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirityou received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[b] Father.”

We shouldn’t live as slaves, either to external things or to our own criticism.  It is for freedom we have been set free!  We need to act like it.  Anything less is selling the Gospel short.  Don’t do that.

Romans 8:1

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Well that’s about as direct as it can get, don’t you think?  Don’t re-write the Book God already wrote.  It’s best to just live in His truth.  So let this one sink in please.

Ephesians 2:13

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought nearby the blood of Christ.

The Father paid a high price to win us back to his image.  We are not doing anyone any good by living in a false humility or living hard on ourselves.  This is a big shift in thinking, but it’s essential to our identity.  When you understand your identity, you’ll get this.

2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

Are you sensing a theme yet?

1 John 3:1

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

When you get the focus off of YOU and onto HIM, you’ll see a lot of these problems melt away.  And that’s a good place to live!

We wrote this post to help free someone!  Hopefully many people.  If you were blessed by anything in this article, please SHARE it with someone!