Do You Constantly Feel Condemned?
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-New International Version
A few years ago, I ran into a lady I used to babysit for when I was in high school. I was excited to see her, as newer Christians often are when they encounter people from their past, but she took one look at me and couldn’t run away fast enough.
Family gatherings never fail to bring up accounts of my transgressions. “Remember when Chrissy handcuffed her feet together?” or “Remember when she tried to braid her hair and ended up with a mass of knots?”
Oh, there are plenty more. I know, because the accounts are constantly brought to my attention. The funny thing is, most of the time only the bad or embarrassing things are remembered. The flies on the wall probably think there was nothing good in me at all, nothing redeemable.
Now, nothing I may or may not have done in the lady’s home while I watched her children would have warranted her instant freak-out. I can only imagine she was a fly on the wall, or the neighborhood flies gathered together and conversed about the ‘rebellious, sinful’ girl down the street.
I was never given a chance to share the changes in my life. Never given a chance to tell her I was happily married with children of my own. Never given a chance to ask her about her own children, children I spent years watching. Never given the chance to tell her I found Jesus. No, she took one look at me and brought down the hammer of judgement. No questions asked.
And, what’s worse is, I’m quite sure she was a Christian.
This woman is no different from the people we continuously encounter from our past, or even those who are supposed to offer us love and support because they are family. Unknowingly on their part, their words and actions toss us back into the pit Jesus reached down and pulled us out of. Their words heap piles of stinky condemnation onto our heads making us feel worthless. Worthless of a Savior sent by His Father in Heaven to die for our transgressions.
The spirit of condemnation can be just as difficult for the Christian as it is for the non-Christian to handle. Yeah, I know right. I bet you thought it was one-sided. It’s like a set of scales. On one plate we know in our heart of hearts that Jesus died on the cross and rescued us from our sinful nature, which should by far out-weigh anything that might be on the other plate. But that’s not the case, especially when someone might simply say, “Why didn’t you . . . ” and we hear “You worthless piece of cow dung, why didn’t you . . .” Once the ball starts rolling, every word and action that we encounter through the rest day becomes another nail in the coffin of condemnation. It really can be a living hell. I mean seriously, when those around us don’t see anything good in us, how can Jesus?
We know we’re supposed to take every thought captive, we know we’re suppose to renew our mind with the living, active Word of God, but it’s not always that easy, especially when we’re constantly reminded of our shame by the past and we don’t want to share our struggles with the present (new church family) for fear of more condemnation. It’s hard to be washed cleaned when mud is constantly being thrown at us.
As difficult as it can be, those of us who have a tendency to stand beneath the umbrella of condemnation we need to stand on God’s word. The scriptures say that “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10) and “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV). It may sound a little depressing, but the fact of the matter is, those who are carrying around that hammer of condemnation aren’t any less a sinner than those they condemn. Only those who have accepted Jesus, God’s only son, as their Lord and Savior, are set free from condemnation.
What about those who call themselves Christians, believe Jesus died for their sins and carry the hammer of judgement? God’s word clearly states in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we forgive men when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will forgive us, but if we refuse to forgive, God won’t forgive us either. Yes, that includes forgiving those who are forever reminding us just how horrible a person we are.
So, the only thing we can do is pray. Pray for them just like we’d pray for the condemning non-Christian. Pray God will open their eyes to the harm they cause. Pray God will help them forgive us for our transgressions. Pray for wisdom in dealing with them. And, pray God will help us forgive them.
Father, I pray for those who live under the constant barrage of condemnation, including myself. I pray, Jehovah Rophe that You, the ultimate healer, will infuse us with Your peace that transcends all understanding and that You’ll guard our hearts and our minds from the enemy’s poisoned arrows. And Father, God Most High, I pray that You help us forgive those who carry the hammer of condemnation in their hands. I pray You loosen their grips and heal their hearts too, that they may forgive those who have transgressed against them. And Lord, for those who don’t know You as their personal savior, I pray You reveal yourself to them.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
If you can relate and you’d like me to pray for you, please leave a comment or feel free to email me privately. You’re not alone.
