Welcome friends! If you hopped over from my P31 devotion to find the free download of chapter 2 from my book A Confident Heart, or to sign up for my online study, or enter my give-away – the links and details are below. First I’d love to share a little of my story and why I”m offering an online study of my book here on my website in January…
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Several years ago, I discovered a powerful truth that changed my life forever and set me on a journey to finding a lasting confidence that isn’t based on my successes or failures – but solely on God’s unfailing love and powerful promises! It’s the title of chapter 2 and today’s post – Because God’s love is perfect, I don’t have to be!
For so long, like so many women, I thought I had to be perfect to be loved. I was convinced if let anyone see my imperfections and inadequacies they would think less of me, and eventually leave me -or distance themselves from me.
It was a compelling and paralyzing belief. One that catapulted me into a tail-spin of performance-based living and constant self-doubt. A life where my value was solely measured by my possessions, positions, and people’s opinions of me.
I carefully constructed walls around my heart to project false-confidence and protect my insecure heart. On the outside everything looked liked it was going well, yet on the inside I was drowning in feelings of not ever being good enough. With each attempt to keep others impressed and distant, I stepped further into the shadows of self-doubt. Even though I was surrounded by people, my insecurities convinced me I was all alone.
By the time I was in my twenties, I couldn’t pretend anymore. I ran out of the emotional energy it took to fuel my efforts. Although I’d gone to church off and on for most of my life, I’d never really understood messages I’d heard. But this time, I started listening and really hearing what was being said.
Over time God revealed His heart to me through sermons and books I read, but more than anything He spoke to me through the Bible. Through His written Word on the page and His living Word in the person of Christ, I came to know the perfect love of a personal Savior who pursues imperfect women like me.
I read stories that echoed the struggles and desires of my heart. Tucked within those stories I discovered God’s promises and how He responds to the heart’s longings and heals the hurts of His children. I read words that gave me hope and assured me that I was not alone….
Knowing we are not alone is the first step out of the shadows of self-doubt. It sets us free from feeling like something is wrong with us because no one else seems to struggle like we do. I believe Sam (from today’s devotion) realized this truth the day she met Jesus and felt the pursuit of His perfect love. She was made complete by the power of His love and was transformed from a life of shame and isolationto a life of freedom and Christ-confidence!
Her story of life-change is a picture of what God’s love, forgiveness, pursuit, confidence and purpose can look like in our lives! Instead of just writing a book about how that has been true in my life and how it can be true in yours – I feel God leading me to walk through the book with women who want to take hold of those truths but just aren’t sure how to do it.
So, I’m offering a FREE online study of my book, A Confident Heart, right here on my website. I want us to create a safe place of community where we can talk about how we got where we are in our self-doubts and how we can get where we long to be and then take steps together to get there- through encouragement, prayer and living in the security of God’s promises! Will you join me?
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A Confident Heart Online Study
My online study will begin January 16th. I’ll post 1-2x each week and will have guest posts, video segments and more! Because we’ll meet online, you can check in at your convenience any time of the day and week. I’m so excited about the ideas God’s giving me for it, and would love for you to join me! All you need is a copy of the book, a notebook, a Bible and a ready-for-God- to-do-a-new-thing attitude! Here are a few links I’d love to share with you today:
- Click here to find out more about the book and links to online stores that carry it.
- Complete the form in my right sidebar to receive more details or to join my Confident Heart Online Study.
- Click here to read the table of contents, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2: Because God’s Love is Perfect, I Don’t have to Be (for a limited time only). *It’s s in a PDF so your computer might warn you, but it’s safe to open. If you can’t access it, let us know though my contact form.
- Subscribe to my website updates. For online study participants, I recommend signing up for both in case some thing gets lost in cyberspace or spam.
A Confident Heart Give-Away
Win a $10 Starbucks gift card, a journal, a copy of my book and conference calls that will be an option for my online study! To enter to win, do any of the above and let friends know about my online study, devotion and or this post via email, Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to click “Share Your Thoughts” below to let me know you did so I can enter you in the drawing!
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If you don’t want to do all that, I’d still love to hear from you today!
How did God speak to your heart today through my devotion or today’s blog post.
Just click on “Share Your Thoughts” below to let me know and I’ll be praying for you today!
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Thank you Renee, for today’s devotion – R-E-S-P-E-C-T .. That’s what He Needs from Me! I have been struggling with this issue and thank God for the opportune moment. I have signed up for the online study and hope to get a free book as i tell it to my friends and daughter. God bless!
Today’s devotion —- R-E-S-P-E-C-T ……. That’s what He Needs from Me. Was talking about me. I t was like it was meant for me to read my email on today and not delete this message. Lately I have been deleting a lot of my devotional emails because I haven’t made time to read them. I thank God for you, because you have a ministry that speaks to women and the things that they go through on a day to day basis. It has been months since I have read any of the devotions of Proverbs31. After today I will make this part of my daily devotion and continue with my devotion in spite of what I may be presently going through at the time. A lot of changes I need to make and I know that the changes can’ t be done with out God. Once again I thank you for allowing God to use you in a special way.
I’m def joining the bible study! As I am still kind of new at this marriage thing, and was raised in a matriarchal family the submit word scares me and after reading your devotion today maybe I just need to learn more about it. Thank you for allowing Christ to speak through you.
Your words are such a blessing. I invited my FB friends to participate in you study! Looking forward to see where God takes us all. Thank you!
As a wife & mother of 9 I need to stop living in this shadow of doubt! I need a Confident Heart!!
Renee,
THANK YOU For following God’s will for writing this book!!! I just posted it on Facebook!! I am telling you this is one of the BEST books that I have ever read!! It came at the PERFECT time!!! Thank YOU again for sharing!!!
I would love to be in your online bible study and be entered to win the conference calls. Thanks for all your inspira
Thank you Renee… You have no idea how many ways that God is using you. Looking forward to January, even as I look forward to your daily devotionals. You always seem to be on time, on target with what God is trying to tell me. Thank you for all you do in His name
Thank you for the encouragement and the opportunity for a safe forum for women to have open and honest discussions about the struggles of trying to be perfect in an imperfect world. We often set ourselves up with such unrealistic expectations when the Lord of all just wants the best of us, the true us. I have signed up for your emails and am looking forward to them! Thanks again, Heather
Renee thank you for this post and your desire to help other women gain the confidence we all should have. I have signed up for your online study and cannot wait to start! I am not familiar with your book, but will be soon! I have a 3 year old and 11 month old and find it hard to listen to an entire sermon on Sunday mornings or a lesson at Bible Study, so I am so excited to have the opportunity for an online study! I haven’t felt recharged for a while now. And not only will it be more convenient, but it’s about a subject I desperately need help with! Anyway, as you can tell, I am excited. I shared your study with my sister-in-law on Facebook and hope she can do it with me – it always helps to have a buddy 🙂 Thank you so much!
Dear Renee,
I am glad you are candid about you struggles. I am so like you in so many ways. Because of severe mental and emotional abuse, I accepted the fact that I couldn’t do anything. But I didn’t want anyone to know how terrible I felt, I too placed barricades around my heart and played a game of pretend and denial until recently when I became too exhausted. I also have been going to church for a long time, but I never really understood. I never could apply what was said personally, to ME. I have known God had something planned for my life, but I knew I couldn’t do it and I was comfortable working behind the scenes.
Now I am more willing to to say yes to His plans as long as He does it through me cause i can’t do it on my own.
I am doing the 7 day doubt diet and God is ministering to me through it. I also want to start the Confident Heart Bible study in January.
Debbie
Hey hey….this book and study is calling (yelling;) my name. I am a new stay at home Mom and consumed by perfectionism.. I shared this resource with my Facebook friends and am an email subscriber as well. Please enter me for your giveaway and I’ll be watching for the study to begin! Thanks for this timely timely word!
Ready for Freedom in Christ,
Shawna
I am so excited and I signed up for your bible study. I started with Melissa and got behind because of so many things and was going to try to catch up and then I saw you were offering this so I am going to do this. I can’t wait. Thanks so much.
Hello Renee,
I just finished reading a confident heart I have to admit though I am and was very bad at homework in school so I am sad to say I have yet to do any homework I was to excited to read your book , I have written down many things in the book and I am putting them into action . I bought another copy to send to my sister
I know she will love it as much as I have. I want to say Thank You so much for helping me and so many women throughout the world live Confident lives through our Lord Jesus Christ .
May God keep blessing you and your family
Kathy