Have you ever wondered about the difference between examining yourself and your life, so you can correct flaws and improve yourself – versus condemning yourself for whatever flaws you possess and perpetually feeling bad about them, so you are unable to grow and move forward?

 

Examination is meant to help you acknowledge the flaws so you can improve–condemnation only makes you feel bad, and can even lead to depression and inability to do what’s necessary to improve your life.

 

 

Onto today’s devotional thought …

 

“There is  a great difference

between examination and condemnation.

Examination helps us prove to ourselves that we are in Christ

and He is in us, and in Him we have been set free from sin.

Condemnation keeps us mired in the very sin

we feel condemned about.

It does not deliver us–it traps us!

It weakens us and saps all our spiritual strength.

We give our energy to feeling condemned

rather than living righteously.

There is such a thing as excessive self-examination,

and I personally believe it opens the door

for much of the unbalance

we see today in this area among God’s children.

To be overly introspective

and continually examining our every move

opens the door to Satan.

**Examine, but don’t condemn.**

God has forgiven confessed sin so you can move forward.

He isn’t dwelling on it; why should you?

Pray: Lord, I ask You to search my heart

and expose any sin in my life.

I refuse to get trapped

in endless introspection and condemnation.

Set me free from all sin. Amen.”

–Joyce Meyer in “The Confident Woman Devotional”

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My reflections:

 

This one is such a good reminder not to focus so much on faults and past problems that we impede our own growth. It’s far too easy to get hung up on the negatives instead of the positives, and sabotage our lives as our own worst enemies.

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So what are YOUR thoughts?

Do you routinely examine yourself and your life? Does self-condemnation ever threaten to prevent you from growing and improving yourself?