# How to Know If It’s Your Inner Critic or Conviction Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/how-to-know-if-it-s-your-inner-critic-or-conviction Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/how-to-know-if-it-s-your-inner-critic-or-conviction.md Podcast: [The Best of You](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878) Published: 2026-07-17T08:14:00+00:00 Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/arttrk.com/p/TSFL1/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPH5086042822.mp3 Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/arttrk.com/p/TSFL1/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPH5086042822.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-best-of-you-5434878/episodes/how-to-know-if-it-s-your-inner-critic-or-conviction Duration seconds: 604 ## Resource Today's Scripture: 1 John 3:18–20 What do you do when the harshest voice in your life is the one inside you? Today’s Scripture helps us distinguish between true conviction, which leads to repair and life, and self-condemnation, which crushes us with shame. This episode helps you recognize the inner critic, notice when self-criticism starts to sound spiritual, and rest your heart in the presence of the God who is greater than your heart. You’ll learn:*The difference between conviction and condemnation*Why sensitive, conscientious people often mistake shame for maturity*How the inner critic tries to protect you through harshness*Why God’s full knowledge of you is comfort, not threat*One way to respond when your inner critic gets loud Go Deeper: Episode 140: How to Stop Blaming Yourself for Things That Aren’t Your FaultRead I Shouldn’t Feel This Way for help distinguishing true guilt from false guilt. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-best-of-you-5434878/episodes/how-to-know-if-it-s-your-inner-critic-or-conviction/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/how-to-know-if-it-s-your-inner-critic-or-conviction.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.