Attitude Adjustment

I was recently told by a friend that I needed an attitude adjustment. Although these may seem like rather harsh words, they were said in the context of trying to change how I thought about myself. At the time I was feeling rather stressed out (though how this is different than normal I'm not entirely sure) and the thoughts running through my mind included things like "failure", "not good enough", and "people only care about me when I'm doing the right thing" (being perfect).

Now I know there's a verse in the Bible that talks about judging others, but I find that I'm much more judgemental towards myself than towards others. I could blame it on the belief system that I grew up with, and I'm sure that does have a role, but the truth is that I shouldn't be living in the past. I also think that believing self-depreciating thoughts or lies about oneself is a struggle that many women face on a daily basis.

The truth of the matter is that I'm not perfect. However, just because I do something wrong doesn't give me the right to believe that I'm not loveable/likeable anymore. My true friends will stick with me in spite of my faults and weaknesses. God will not abandon me....although I do have to make sure that there isn't any unconfessed sin hindering my relationship with Him.
The other mindset that I have to be very careful not to succumb to is carrying a burden of guilt. You see, even after I confess my sins, it's still very hard for me not to continually berate myself for the mistake(s) I've made.

I've come to realize that I possess alot of "head-knowledge" but that when it comes to the application process I have a much harder time. It seems that each day God brings about new opportunities for me to learn this lesson. Some days I do ok with not wandering down the road of self-depreciation thoughts but other days I don't do nearly as well. I'm still learning how to take every thought captive and to see myself as God sees me - His child, made perfect by His love and grace.