Beloved, do the following statements resonate with you? Nobody is harder on me than me. Nobody is more hateful to me than me.
Ugh! Are you wondering, like me, how to stop self-sabotage?!
Self Sabotaging Thoughts
In the past seven months, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some variation of those statements. And each time, I’ve thought, Omgoodness, me too.
Nobody is more hateful to me than me.
Nobody is harder on me than me.
Pick, pick, pick.
There are times and even days when…in my mind… all I’ll do is pick, pick, pick—criticizing anything and everything about myself.
Like I’ve forgotten everything about the life of Christ within me.
Like I’ve forgotten everything about God’s love, mercy, and grace.
As if the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the power and significance of His resurrection have lost their power.
And for the moment, I’ve forgotten the beauty, wonder, and awe of the righteousness of Christ imputed to me.
And if I continue in this self-sabotaging manner long enough, I’ll find myself in a deep hole with well-buttered sides of self-loathing. It’s too slippery to get any traction. Where giving up can seem like the only answer.
How Do I Stop Self-Sabotage?
But then, one morning, God whispered inside my heart, Go looking for the best!
Go looking for the best!
This is a familiar phrase God has used many times in my life with different people, circumstances, and adversity. In fact, God’s instruction to go looking for the best proved to be an essential tool God used in rescuing our marriage years ago.
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But this particular morning, the Spirit had new territory in mind. Go looking for the best…in you.
Hmmm?! What was that?!
Go looking for the best in you.
Hmmm?! But that sounds like an exercise of the ego?!
But then God reminded me that His instruction to look for the best in my husband Larry Dale, other people, circumstances, or adversity isn’t of the ego but of Him—of the Spirit. To go looking for the things of God!
The best things are always the things of God: His life, love, character, and power at work within others and in circumstances and adversity.
To go looking for the best stands in direct opposition to the Enemy who hates us and prowls around tempting us towards self-bullying.
Look For The Best!
So, if you’ve been wondering how to stop self-sabotage, today’s challenge is to go looking for the best in yourself!
Go looking for the things of God in you.
Ask the Holy Spirit, Open my eyes to see the best! The things of God. Open my eyes to see Christ’s life, love, character, and power at work within me.
The Enemy is the Accuser of the believer. Trying to condemn those who have been redeemed. I’m sick of aligning myself with him and buying into his crap. How about you?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:33-34
I believe Jesus wants to encourage you with the truth of those verses. Can you hear His love for you?! Beloved, I’m not against you. The only thing that’s against you is you.
Let’s align ourselves with Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit alive within us!
Let’s collaborate with the Spirit!
Go looking for the best in you, my friend!
My Prayer for You…and Me
May the love of God lavishly encourage you. May your faith be strengthened. Your affection for Jesus stirred and deepened. May the Spirit bestow on you a crown of beauty instead of ashes. The oil of joy instead of mourning. A garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. For you are an oak of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor. So then, fix your eyes on the Author and perfector of your faith. Jesus, please exchange all my self-sabotaging thoughts with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy—rewire my mind to practice thinking about such things. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
I’m listening, and I would love to hear your thoughts, your perspective, and insights.
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Thanks for stopping by! Until we meet again, remember – Trusting in Jesus, you’ll have more treasure than pockets. From my heart to yours,
