Quit blaming yourself

When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, for many years they were beaten down. Not only physically, but emotionally. They were constantly told they were no good, they couldn't do anything right, they would never measure up. Over time, they let those words steal their sense of value. They felt inferior, insecure, like they had no self-worth. When a person is being mistreated or abused, especially for a long time; instead of recognizing the other person is doing them wrong, it's easy for them to accept the blame and start thinking they deserve what's happening. Before long, they're not only ashamed of what's happening, but they start to become ashamed of who they are. That's the way the Israelites felt. That's how the enemy twists things. But after 430 years, God brought them out of the slavery, out of the abuse. Just when they were about to enter the Promised Land, God said to them, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt off of you." Reproach means shame, blame or disgrace. Notice, they couldn't go into the Promised Land with the shame, feeling unworthy, not valuable. God had to roll away the reproach. In the same way, before you can reach your highest potential, you have to get rid of any shame. You may have made mistakes. People may have done you wrong, but you can't sit around feeling guilty or condemned, blaming yourself, blaming others. Whatever you're coming out of—a divorce, an addiction, somebody that did you wrong—God is saying, "This day, nottomorrow, not next week, not six months from now, today…" God is rolling away the reproach. He's rolling away the guilt. Rolling away the shame. Now it's up to you to accept it. You have to quit dwelling on your failures. Quit believing those lies that you've made too many mistakes. You've been hurt too badly. No, the reproach has been rolled away. When you get up in the morning and hear those voices, and they come to all of us, "Shame on you", you have to answer right back, "No, shame off of me! I know my reproach has been taken away!" Amen .