Do Not Let Mistakes and
Wrong Doing of the Past— Keep You Down
By Joyce Webb 2025
You are created (made) in the image (likeness) of God.
Genesis 1:27
Sometimes we get “down on ourselves”. We tell ourselves that we are no good. We tell ourselves that we will never be able to do things successfully.
Maybe there have been people in our life—parents, teachers, or others—that told us we were stupid, dumb, bad, not worth anything.
Maybe that person was hard to please and whatever we did was never good enough to please them.
Maybe you tried to do a job—but we could not do it—you failed.
Maybe you have done something bad—and it hurt people. You think that no one will forgive you. You want to hide. You feel shame.
There are so many reasons we can get “down on ourselves.”
Sometimes we think it would have been better if we had never been born.
Sometimes we think that if we end our life—the world would be better off without us.
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God has known us from the time we were in our mother’s womb.
King David in the Old Testament said: Psalms 139 Vs 16
“My substance (what I was made of) was not hid from thee (God).
When I was made in secret (in his mother’s womb)——
thine (your) eyes did see my substance.
Yet, (I) was imperfect (not yet perfect—not yet complete)—all my members (parts of my body) were written–(planned by God)—which were continued to be fashioned (made) when as yet there was none of them.
(It is talking about a fetus—a baby just being formed—not yet complete—yet God knows all about it—as it grows each part of its body.)
Vs. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully (amazingly) and wonderfully made.
Our bodies are wonderful, amazing “machines” that scientists are still learning how it all works.
Vs. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God: how great is the sum (number) of them.
Psalms 22: 9 “But thou art (are) he that took me out of the womb;
Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
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Not every baby that comes out of the womb lives.
God wanted you to live. He had a reason for that.
God has a plan for every life.
It is up to us to ask God what that plan is. We need to ask Him to show us what His plan is for us.
It will not come to you all at once. But little by little—as you ask God to lead you as you make decisions.
You will see how God has a plan to use you to be a “witness” and an “example” to others—they will see God through you.
They will see how you trust God and how God helps you.
They will see how God gives you peace.
They will want God’s peace for themselves. You can help them learn to trust in God.
Thoughts to be discouraged comes from Satan. He whispers thoughts to make you feel bad about yourself.
Those kind of thoughts are not from God. God is for you.
He wants you to hope, to know that as you look to God for help and strength—you can do good—you can succeed.
God knows all the bad things you may have done.
Ask for God to forgive you—-then give those bad things to God.
Do not let your mind think about them. Every time a thought comes into your mind that reminds you of the bad things—-say to yourself—I have asked for forgiveness and I gave that to God. He has it now.
Paul in the New Testament said: Philippians 3:13-14
“ —-forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
I press toward the mark for the prize—of the high calling of God—in Christ Jesus.
(Paul had a lot of bad things he needed to forget. He thought he was doing good for God —when he took Christians and put them in jail. Some of those Christians died because of Paul.
Paul knew what it was like to forget bad things—and move forward in God’s forgiveness and love.)
Satan wants to keep us down and discouraged.
God wants us to give to him those things of our past—and for us to move forward—in hope—in peace—in feeling sure God is going to help us succeed.