“A certain brother came to Abbot Poemen and said: What ought I to do, Father? I am in great sadness. The elder said to him: Never despise anybody, never condemn anybody, never speak evil of anyone, and the Lord will give you peace.”

“Anybody’ includes yourself.

Do not despise yourself. Don’t be arrogant, ego-centric, selfish, falsely humble, sure. But do not despise yourself as dirt. Unless you really see God in all His glory and your wretchedness is as true to you as the sun shining daily, as a fact. Don’t be into individualism which kills community an interdependence. No, most people are not narcissists or codependent. They need friends and God, best godly friends. So don’t be spiritual or social prick. Ask for forgiveness, own your faults, fix the wound, clear the air. And go on. Don’t dwell on your inner critic, he is wrong. Sometimes he comes from hell and sometimes from the past and sometimes from that you tube perfect dude who you wannabe will never happen. Live truly.

Do not condemn yourself. Despair is troublesome. Leads to blackness of no existence. But you exist from the goodness of the Father so the back and bone of you is good. You did terrible things? Make it right. That’s it. It’s the end of a torment that is not yours to stay in. No condemnation for those who fear God, who trust Him more than themselves.

Don’t speak evil of yourself. Speak about evil things you’ve done, name them, confess them, repent from them. But you know better than that to call yourself toxic. No one is that bad to not come back. Jesus made sure of that. He cut the evil off, that lack of good judgment, lack of clear perception, lack of seeing merciful God. Cut the tongue or eye or hand if needed, meaning stop saying, seeing and doing evil things. That’s a progress. But don’t speak evil into your life. Get it out of your system.

Then do the same to others.

That’s the beginning of peace.