Do you want to stop feeling condemned? Then the answer is-- don't allow yourself to do those things that you know are going to make you feel condemned. The verse above gives us this key-- happy is the one who does not condemn himself in what he allows. Allowing something and condemnation seem to go hand in hand.
There are things that we do that we know are going to make us feel bad, guilty and condemned afterwards. Like when we overeat a particular food. Or watch a program on television we know that we should not watch. Or when the Spirit convicts us to leave a certain issue alone and we proceed anyway. Afterwards, we have that "feeling" and then start "beating" ourselves up about it. For example, if I know that I should not have eaten that second candy bar, but did anyway, I usually feel condemned about it. I start a mental chastening of myself. If I had not "allowed" myself to eat it, I would not be going through that.
We would save ourselves a lot of guilt and condemnation if, like I said earlier, we would just not allow our flesh to do it. Your flesh has to have your permission. You have to choose to go in that direction. You have to choose to give it what it wants.
Just how do I "not allow" myself to do those things? How do I stop? How do I keep from giving in? I can't control it? Yes, you can. You don't owe your flesh anything-- you are not a debtor to it. You don't have to let it rule you-- you rule it by the Spirit. You can resist it-- you can do all things through Christ. When it makes its "suggestions", when it "tempts" you, renew your mind and bring those thoughts captive. You don't have to let your mind "entertain" it-- make those thoughts submit to the Word of God. If you do this, you will be happy because condemnation didn't have a chance to attack you.
Have a great day. If you don't allow it, it can't condemn you.
For further reading:
Philippians 4:13
Romans 6:12; 13:14; 8:12; 12:2
2 Corinthians 10:5
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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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