GUILTY OF POOR SELF-MANAGEMENT?

GUILTY OF POOR SELF-MANAGEMENT?

          I see it all the time and I am often guilty of it myself. It is poor self-management. It is the harsh and critical management of “self” that robs us of God’s blessings. You may recognize these four mistakes in managing yourself.

1. Self criticism!

          This is the familiar “I should have” or “why didn’t I” comments that rattle around in our mind. We set high standards for our self and then criticize our self for our perceived failure.

1 Cor 4:3-5

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

2. Self condemnation!

Having criticized our self we go on to pass harsh sentences. Our heart condemns us.

1 John 3:20-22

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Rom 8:1

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

3. Failure to accept God’s love unconditionally!

          So many of us do not feel worthy of His love and the result is a timid faith and a questioning security. We just can’t believe He loves us like He says.

Jer 31:3

3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Rom 5:8

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

4. Pushing away His Graciousness!

Isa 30:18-19

18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

Dear Lord, help us to stop struggling against your attempts to love us. AMEN