The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. Psalms 145:8
God loves you. But what are you telling yourself about yourself? When you look in the mirror, are you staring back at your biggest cheerleader or your harshest critic? If you learn to give yourself the benefit of the doubt – if you can learn how to have constructive conversations with the person in the mirror – then your self-respect will tend to take care of itself.
But if you are constantly berating yourself – if you are constantly telling yourself that you cannot measure up – then you will find that self-respect is always in short supply.
The next time you find yourself being critical of the person you see in the mirror, think for a moment about God’s love for you, and then ask yourself if the criticism is really valid. If it is valid, make changes… if not, lighten up.
Saint Francis de Sales said it so well; “Have patience with all things, but mostly with yourself. Don’t lose courage considering your own imperfections, but instantly begin remedying them. Every day begin the task anew.”
Dear Lord, I know I am always on my own back about something I did wrong or did not do well or forgot to do at all. I look in that mirror and I am very critical of the person I see. That person is not the person I want to be nor the person you want me to be. Help me to forgive myself. Help me to mend myself as I hand my imperfect self over to you yet another day that you may change my heart and make me new. Touch me with your loving embrace that my heart may also be warmed by you. In and through Jesus. Amen
I have published three new books which are listed at the bottom of the header above. If you would like to take the time to click on each title and read a sample chapter, I would be very grateful. The Sayings of Noah is a sermon series I wrote for Lent which came from the sayings my grandson, Noah, made around the time he was four years old. It is a lite Lenten approach. The Daily Moments with Pastor Steve are daily devotionals. And the Grieving Heart is a collection of uplifting funeral homilies I have given over the years. I hope you will enjoy reading these and even more I hope they will help you help others. Thanks, Steve.
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The Journey 