Do you repeat the same mistakes? Try to do better. Think better. But then still fail and it’s the same cycle all over again? I know I’ve been there.

I want to be a better person for the Lord, but then I fail and trip over the same mistakes over..and over…again.

Jeremiah 10:24 states, “So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.”

I feel guilty when I fail God. And I punish my own self for it by carrying the guilt on my shoulders and thinking God has given up on me. But doesn’t that go against the whole purpose for why Jesus died for us? Although we should be punished for being sinful, God instead, washes us with his grace and mercy every single time.

I watched Avengers: Endgame recently and on Instagram, Erik and Dominique Myers (@erikmyers4) pointed out a very motivational quote from the movie. (The quote isn’t a spoiler, but if you prefer not to read it, skip the quote-box down below.)

The line from the movie stated:

“Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be. The measure of a person, a hero, is how they succeed at being who they are.”

How are you succeeding at being who you are? Are you bathing in God’s grace and mercy and who He created you to be? Or are you bathing in guilt, shame, and worry?

Here are five signs you are failing your inner self by not being who you are:

Perfectionism

This is a dangerous one. So many people do it without even trying. They abuse their bodies with the lack of self-care and sleep they get. They stress themselves over making sure their hair and clothing is to perfection. They even become workaholics. Some perfectionists can obsess over small details with a small mundane task that they spend hours trying to perfect it (The last example is definitely me).

Guilt

Guilt occurs in people when they feel they have failed themselves, others, and/or God. They don’t forgive themselves and they refuse to receive God’s forgiveness. Many people deal with this. Are you haunted by your past mistakes? Do you blame yourself for what happened to you in your past? Do you allow your past to still dictate how you live your present life?

Worry & Fear

Sometimes fear and worry can consume our thoughts. Some people overthink their problems. Having an endless cycle of worry/fear can keep us stagnant in life and cause us to be afraid to move forward and take chances in life. Constantly worrying can hinder our future success and blessings. Do you allow fear to dictate how you live your life? Are you so focused on the future that you aren’t living in the present moment? It’s hard to make rational decisions when you are consumed with fear or any of these signs, really.

Uncontrollable Anger

Anger isn’t always bad. Uncontrollable anger is when there is no restraint on this emotion. Small things can set a person off. Sometimes this person is very impatient and some people may consider them a grouch. Others may have passive aggressiveness as well. They’re angry but they are carefully crafting their revenge. How do you react to situations that come your way?

Negative Attitude

Are you always seeing the worst case scenarios or always seeing the worst in others? Sometimes people with a negative attitude only see the negative and faults in others. Sometimes they make snide comments and think they are better than others as well. These people give off a negative vibe and not many people want to be around them. Constantly being negative can cause the person to be isolated.

Overall, none of these signs are healthy in our life. All of these signs are a way of negative thinking. Our thoughts are powerful and they play a major role in how we live and how we view life. For example, having a negative attitude means the person probably only see the negative in others. Aiming for perfection means you always see what the did wrong and not what you did well.

So, how do we overcome these ways of thinking?

We have to repent and surrender these problems to God. We can’t control what happens in the future but we can control how we respond to situations and how we think. Instead of thinking how “you are SUPPOSED to be like this and that” (which causes you to worry, have a bad attitude, or aim for perfection), instead BE WHO YOU ARE.

Who are you exactly?

Well, you are a child of God. Since you are a child of God, you have access to His godly characteristics. God has given you the seeds of His spiritual fruits (love, kindness. gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, self-control, patience, joy, and peace), you need only to plant them and watch how He helps you harvest them.

You don’t have to worry. CHOOSE not to worry. You don’t have to aim for perfection. CHOOSE to accept that nothing and no one is perfect. CHOOSE to believe you are beautiful and you are perfectly imperfect. CHOOSE to realize you are not always right. CHOOSE to not allow your past to define you despite what others say. It all starts with our mindset. You have to surrender your old way of thinking in order to start a new way of thinking and ultimately a new way of living.

I read this quote from Devon Franklin’s book, The Hollywood Commandments:

“Even if you have no experience, even if you’re starting at the bottom rung of the ladder, you can always be generous, just, kind, dependable, hardworking, of service, and a good listener. None of these qualities requires an advanced degree or any sort of apprentice program; just be who you are.

So reader, live for today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Even though you may make a mistake tomorrow or even after reading this post, even though you may cringe about a past embarrassment, don’t be so hard on yourself. Surrender it to God and then keep on moving. It happens. You’re imperfect. Just because you are imperfect doesn’t mean you can’t improve though. It doesn’t mean you have to beat yourself up for what you did in the past either. You can live a joyful today. CHOOSE joy.

It’s time to be who God says you are.

 “…I am your Lord—come back to me! You were unfaithful and made me furious, but I am merciful, and so I will forgive you.” – Jeremiah 3:12 CEV

Which armor are you putting on today? An armor of guilt? Am armor of shame? An armor of anger? An armor of worry? Or an armor of Truth? Comment below!

xoxo,