There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1, ESV
Have you ever wondered how many thoughts you have in a single day? According to a team of psychology experts from Queen’s University in Canada, the average person has about 6,200 thoughts a day. That’s over 43,000 thoughts in a single week and over 2 million thoughts throughout one year. That is a lot of information for your brain to process.
How do all these thoughts affect your daily life? Do you wonder how many are positive, affirming thoughts and how many are negative and shaming? If you were to make a note every time you had a negative thought in your head about yourself, you’d probably be surprised at how often that happens. I’m sure it happens more often for some of us than others, but we’ve all had accusatory and shameful thoughts about who we are or what we’ve done.
While you might wonder where these thoughts come from, you can trust that they are not from God. God never uses words that attack or accuse. He can use his voice to convict you of something in your life, but he does so in a kind and gentle way that hopefully leads you to repentance. Sorting through all the thoughts in your head can be confusing, but try not to let the negativity distract you from what God is doing. He will never condemn you or shame you. God’s voice is kind.
God, thank you for being a God who loves and guides me without condemnation. I can trust that you will never lead me to a feeling of shame. Help me to discern the thoughts in my head and to focus on the ways you are moving in my life.