If someone called me “my own worst critic,” I suppose I’d take it as a compliment. After all, the label would imply that I analyze my life and work more ruthlessly and deliberately than anybody else. And who doesn’t want to strive for personal excellence?

But while self-criticism can spark healthy lifestyle changes or even just provide a needed dose of humility, it can also bog me down with emotional baggage. Have you ever experienced this darker form of self-criticism? Maybe you’re obsessed with pleasing a particular person in your life—a boss, parent or new friend. But no matter how hard you try, they always cut you down to size, picking away at your flaws until you feel embarrassed and inadequate. You think: I’ll never be good enough.

Or perhaps you’re hiding secret habits, known only to you. You’ve tried, with little success, to change, and are starting to suspect that positive change just isn’t possible. You think: I’ll never get over this. Before long, healthy self-criticism morphs into a toxic cycle of self-loathing.

When my mind takes this dark turn, I must fix my eyes on Jesus. If you don’t feel accepted by others—if you can hardly accept yourself—you can seek comfort in his perfect Word. Here are five Bible verses that remind me of God’s love and acceptance:

1.  Romans 8:1 (GNTD)
   There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (GNTD)
   Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.
3. Ephesians 2:13 (GNTD)
   But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
4. 1 John 3:1 (GNTD)
   See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children—and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God.
5. Romans 8:14-15 (GNTD)
   Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!”