Have you ever had a day when you felt you were run over by a big truck? These days seem to come to us all, and when we get the license number of the truck, we all too often find out that it is registered in our name. We run ourselves down far too often. We may not be able to do much about other people, but we do have control of our own vehicle. We can take ownership of our own lives and thoughts. Every life has periods of ease and plenty, and also hardship and trouble. Some have more than others.

Look at the apostle Paul. He felt he was the least of all the apostles and saints because he persecuted the Church (1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8). He had reason to beat himself up for what he had done. Had Paul stayed in the frame of mind of feeling worthless, he would never have done great work. Paul could look past his faults because he truly believed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ had cleaned him before God. He could stand before His Maker.

There is a lot within each person that is good and lovable. We can leave the past behind as we trust in God’s promise of forgiveness. We can start anew, and in fact, we must. We should always remain humble before the Almighty and fill our minds with positive thoughts and strive to walk as Jesus walked. That will give us a starting point to build self-respect, which can be built on the foundation of God’s love.

Don’t let your past errors continually shape your present actions. Be diligent to add the ingredients to your daily life that will bring godly fruit (2 Peter 1:5-8).