Beating Yourself Up

Paul persecuted Christians and was forgiven
Yes, but that was before he was saved you might say
Paul accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and taught it to others
Jesus said, He who has been forgiven much, loves much

Wherefore I say unto thee,
Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. Luke 7:47 KJV

How do you find the delicate balance of humility?
Realizing where you came from
and some of the mistakes you have made along the way,
but still realize that Jesus has cleansed you and accept that cleansing?
He has made us new creatures and the former things are behind us

People can reflect who we are
Sometimes it is hard to see ourselves as others see us
God does not see us the same way
That does not mean we should not take into account
what others tell us about ourselves
There may be some things they are right about
However, they still cannot see our hearts
and see the whole picture like God does

God knows every single moment from our inception through our childhood,
every single experience we have had,
the love we have had and the lack of love
everything that has made us into who we are today
He knows all
He judges us that way, by looking at our hearts
and taking into account all He knows about us
So, really, no matter what, another person does not have that capacity,
that capability, no matter how great they are,
no matter how much they know about you,
they are not all knowing
They cannot see your intentions
They cannot see your hurts, your disappointments,
how your past has made you into who you are now

Humans are faulty
Each one is trying to do their best, or not
Each one we have experiences with are not able to really know us
not the same way God knows us

Some lack compassion and mercy and graciousness
Those humans are all over the place
If you have been in the habit of caring what they might think,
this can hinder you in many ways, including your relationship with God

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 KJV
We should extend mercy to them, the same way God extends mercy to us
It would be nice if they also extend mercy
but we have no way to demand they extend mercy to us
We also should be merciful to ourselves, which can be difficult

Sometimes our mistakes and failings play like a broken record in our minds
Jesus does not want us to dwell on the past, the former things
He wants us to move on and not to get stuck
So, forgive others, forgive yourself and brush yourself off and keep going

God looks on us with love and adoration
He is like a father who cares for His children,
teaching them in the way that is good

My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;
neither be weary of His correction:
For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth;
even as a father the son in whom He delighteth. Proverbs 3:11-12 KJV

If God happens to correct you, accept it
Let Him teach you what He will
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 KJV
Then, believe His words and let it go