Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. 1Jo3.21 ESV
I am one of those people who is always questioning myself. And, while I think it is good to examine ourselves, sometimes our enemy would capture us in a circle of self-condemnation and guilt. Satan is after all called the accuser of the brethren.
If there is some sin in our life that we know about, it is best to confess and forsake it, not sit around mealy-mouthed picking at it. The Holy Spirit does not want us to feel guilty; He wants us to repent. I know I must apologize to the Lord many times in a day for wayward thoughts. Sometimes this is expressed in nothing more than a knowing grunt. And while we are encouraged to take captive every thought, surely this means that once we have confessed our sins, we graciously accept His forgiveness and move on.
I think it is possible to be overly critical of oneself, especially if I find my prayers being hindered by it. There is nothing our enemy fears more than confident prayers of faith and he will do anything to disrupt them. This is probably one way to tell if conviction about something is coming from the enemy or from the Holy Spirit. Are my prayers being hindered or helped by it? God desires that we approach Him boldly, in confident faith, never mealy-mouthed because of some notion of unworthiness, even a true notion. The reason is that we approach God only in the blessing of Christ, and never on our own merits. 4/2/2008 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
