So excited to start this “Confident Heart” journey with you!
The first thing I want you to remember: This is YOUR journey. You’ll be reading the chapters, listening to God speak to your heart, highlighting sentences, promises and quotes you want to remember and apply. You’ll be answering reflection questions and interacting with the group.
You’ll be doing the work of believing God!
I’ll be shepherding, leading, encouraging, connecting and pacing us. I’ll be sharing my heart and more of my story…because I want you to see you are not alone and give you courage to see and share yours. I’ll be praying for you and challenging you – but you’ll only get out as much as you put in.
Today, I asked the Lord what I needed to give up – so I can give more to Him – and this study. I immediately sensed Him whispering “work.” And I knew it was Him. I love my job and I’ve been working too many late night hours after the kids go to bed. So I’m cutting back the next several weeks to consecrate more of me TO HIM and to you!
What will you cut back on to make time for Him and yourself these next several weeks? I’m really going to challenge you and give you permission to block out at least a little bit of time each day to concentrate on replacing the OLD with the NEW He has for you! Ready? Here we go:
______________________________________
A Confident Heart Online Study (Day 1)
Read the Acknowledgements (I’ll explain tomorrow why I wanted you to do this).
Read Chapter 1. Please highlight verses and sentences that grab your attention or tug on your heart. What is God saying to you though this chapter? Write down what you sense God speaking to your heart in the margins of your book, or in a journal/notebook that you’ll use throughout this study.
A video message from my heart to yours is coming later tonight. I’ll post it on my website later since I’m not quite ready to post it yet. But I wanted to go ahead get this loaded so you can get started!
I’ll send an email and post on our Confident Heart Facebook page to let you know when the video is up and ready for viewing.
______________________________________
GROUP CHAT: What sentences in Chapter 1 resonate with you or tug at your heart?
Click “Share Your Thoughts” below (or click here and scroll to the bottom of this post) if you’re reading this via email).
Also, please share one or two on our Confident Heart Facebook Page or on Twitter (@reneesswope) using the hashtag #AConfidentHeart.
all of the readings/questions and prayers were so true for me personally. like someone was in my head and following me around each day. The insprining hope that I ended with is……….” Blessed are those who trust in the Lord; the Lord will be their trust.” Jeremiah 17:7 this personally gives me a prayer of Hope each day to implement in the food choice actions as well as in my thinking and doing things that are physically challenging for me right now…………………Hope is such a strong motivator for me and with this verse I have that with God. ty for this service!
The lines in Chapter 1 that stood out the most to me… words I have said over and over again in relation to my job situation…. are: The unknown is too scary. Although you’ve been miserable, at least the misery is familiar where you are now.
I have been working to correct this thought process and hope that this study will do just that!
“Self doubt blocks the promise of God’s power and truth to change us from the inside out so that we can live with a confident heart.”
Isaiah 43:19 See-I am doing a new thing!
believing IN GOD to BELIEVING GOD
away with the what if’s, self doubt, risk of rejection, insecurity, robbed joy, wondering if I’m good enough, uncertainty, and replaying questions over and over…
Looking forward to this study and some life changing knowldge!
I agree and feel or have felt what so many of you are posting. I am so excited to see how God will change me with this study because this is one I REALLY struggle with.
One part that struck me was…”there are the voices of insecurities that cast shadows of doubt over our perspective and keep us from becoming the women we want to be- the women God created us to be! Self-doubt blocks the promise of God’s power and truth to change us from the inside out so that we can live with a confident heart.”
THE WOMEN GOD CREATED US TO BE! I pray daily for God to show me the woman He has created to be and to use these gifts He gave to me…. I really need to let those voices fade and stop living in self-doubt, He created me! And He created me for great things!
THe acknowledgements and the amount of love and thankfulness you have for each of the blessings in your life was the first thing……the shadow of course: the big shadow of doubt that always is looming overhead,even in ministry, where we should be confident because we are doing the work God wants us to do, but here too, it slips in unawares and changes our thoughts. We are what we think, it influences every aspect of our behavior. God intended us to have a Christ like Mind and to do that we must make the decision to increase our time in the word and soak in it and renew our mind and do it now!!!!! This first chapter so lined up with our sermon yesterday> I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of “ONLY GOD” on this journey.
The opening of Chapter 1 with Hebrews 10:35-36 weighed heavily with me because it puts the reality of self-limiting beliefs into a different perspective. When I find myself getting down on myself, it’s obviously not to intentionally limit myself but that is what it does and this passage reminds us that a clear head and confidence in God’s plan is necessary to accomplish anything and lead a happy/healthy life. That in itself opened my heart for what was to come throughout the chapter. The “shadow of doubt” analogy was brilliant. The way you showed the correlation between the physical shadow when turned away from the actual bathroom light and the shadow of doubt when turned away from the light of the Lord was so true and is something I find myself inadvertently doing pretty often. Being mindful of these types of things ultimately is what will help with eliminating them and the way you present instances of them does just that. Tying in the scriptures is also very helpful with bringing it all together spiritually and building that God-confidence.
You had my heartstrings in the foreword, with that line about the little heart-shaped cup. I too grew up in a dysfunctional family, with a father who not only wasn’t loving and attentive, but was also abusive. It’s interesting how those early experiences formulate how we go about our relationships for the rest of our lives. After that, the line about the light and the shadow, and the part about how doubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time. What a beautiful moving book. You had me at hello. 🙂
Many setences resonated with me in this first chapter of “doubt”. I have struggled with doubt in myself since I was 10 when i was first picked on for being chubby. It started a lot of the doubt that continued to plague me and still does these past 22 years. I am fit now, physically, but emotionally the doubt is always there. One sentence in particular, “Even as a young bride, I doubted my husband’s faithfulness. Our newlywed memories include a lot of arguments about trust.” This really spoke deep to my heart. I met my husband in our church choir, and knew he had walked longer than I and had a heart for God; even still, I worry about his faithfulness to me. In Renee’s video message, she states that we need not worry what man thinks, or we will be cursed, and I am living proof that her statement is right and that scripture is truth. I have been cursed, though not by God, as he wants nothing but blessings for me, but I have cursed myself and that needs to stop. I need to find my confindence in Jesus, and in doing so, I will know what it means to be truly loved for my heart alone and the faith that I feel in God and His son will guide me to true confidence – the confidence that only comes when one is BLESSED.
Like so many, I have struggled with self-doubt and insecurity since I can remember. God has been working on me regarding this for quite some time now, and although I trust Him and want to believe I am not worthless, the scars from childhood go deep to the marrow. The phrase that hits home for me is “Or maybe you’ve sensed God calling you to serve Him in a way that requires steps of faith, but insecurity has convinced you that you’re not smart enough or gifted enough.” I KNOW where He wants me to serve. I have surrendered over and over to it. But as soon as I motion to step, I pull my spiritual foot back, and there I remain. I know that God can make me move. I pray that He would shove me thru my wall of doubt, because I am too scared to do it. Lord, please smash my wall to crumbs.
I too am waiting for that shove through the wall of doubt, or all the courage in the world to take that step. I have to ask Him for the courage to do more than believe that He will help. I read somewhere once that faith is not believing God will – it’s knowing He will. I guess it’s how Renee says in the book that we have to move from believing in Him to Believing Him.
I to have been dealing with doubt and fear of not being good enough and I know that God is helping me turn back to his light .I just have to stay in his word and not be afraid of what I feel all the time and know that GOD is in control of my life.Your book is really helping me thank you!
The sentence that caused me to pause was “But I’ve found that when I choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose I am and who I am in Him, I have a confident heart.”
Thank you for turning our thoughts and attention to “digging deep into the heart and character of God so we can learn to depend on His heart toward us.” We are created in HIS image! His image, His character is the place where we will find who we are to be, what He wants for us to do. This has to be our daily spiritual discipline like the Children of Israel picking up manna in the desert. Looking forward to the 12 chapters/weeks of disciplining my heart and mind in the character of Jesus – taking every thought captive to Him! What a blessing to do this study with so many others around the country! We are doing it with a weekly group, too!
I am truly excited about this online study. I read Chapter 1 twice and God really spoke to my heart. I myself have lacked confidence and had self doubt from a child although not too many people know because I was or might i say am now good at covering it up. When I saw the statement in the book regarding that I said wow I am not alone. I would back out of things or just not go if I thought somebody wanted me to do or say something because I lack self confidence. I would even have ideas about things and they wew good only to let others speak out and say what I would have said or done. Self doubt can be paralyzing and that is what I got from this chapter. But God spoke to me through the Scripture Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing. This lets me know that things will not be the same and that I will be and do what God has for me. I will have the confidence necessary to fulfill the destiny he has set. That promise “I will do a new thing” just makes my heart glad.
I loved the part about going beyond believing in Him to really believing Him! In order to really believe Him, I need to spend more time with Him. You only can trust someone by getting to know that person more and more. I feel like this is where my confidence breaks down. I spend entirely too much time online, and that is what I am going to cut down, so that time can be used in learning more about aim, and developing the trust and confidence that is only found in an intimate relationship.
I loved the whole chapter! One of my favorite things was “Praying God’s Word has been one of the most life-changing ways I’ve learned to live in the security of His promises. ‘This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.’ (1 John 5;14) So, there you go: we can be confident we are praying God’s will when we pray God’s Word.” I want to memorize more scripture so that I can incorporate it into my prayer life.
I’m so excited about doing this study! I’ve already read through A Confident Heart once but the messages are so powerful and relevant to my life today that I need to read through it again! I know God is going to show me a fresh revelation that applies to my right-now circumstances and I’m excited to be joining each of you through this amazing journey.
Much of this Chapter I was able to say..”you too?” It was awesome to actually see it in print somewhere else. I often feel quite alone in my feelings. One of the first things that tickled me was the hope that
God would just zap you with self confidence! I have often hoped and prayed for that very same zap, but have also come to the conclusion which you mentioned, and happened to be one of the parts which tugged at my heart – it is only when I recognize, and I believe in whose I am and who I am in Christ, can I live with a totally confident heart. I won’t pretend that Im 100% there, i struggle each day to see who I am in God (work in progress), but I know as long as I ask Him He will show me just that.
I really like your post!
the sentence that spoke most to me is pg 23 about Doubt keeping me from believing things can get better. I have been thinking the thoughts “its too hard, I might as well quit (on my marriage). I am tired of crying the same tears about the same problems without seeing change. I hear God speaking to me to look at him instead of the troublesome circumstances in my life.
What has been on my heart since reading this first chapter, is that if my hope in God, I will not be disappointed. Been reflecting on are part of my doubts being overpowering due to past disappointments. I had not thought of that as being part of my insecurities.
Turn toward the light….so easy, but yet so hard to do!!! Trust and believe…Be obedient to God’s word and his plan for us!!! I really like the thought of him “doing a new thing” I want to be NEW, renewed and refreshed….and, full of confidence!
I read this book last fall and now reading it again while doing this bible study is so more meaninful to me. I am a wdow struggling with an alcoholic daughter and the words doubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time really made me realize that I have to quit doubting that God is in control and live with the hope that his will will be done and I can take comfort in that his plans are to prosper me and not harm me but give me hope and a future.
Sandy, I also have a daughter who is an alcoholic. I will be praying for you and your daughter. As I read, I also realized the truth of the inability of doubt and hope to live in our hearts at the same time. Alcoholism can certainly cast a large shadow. But our God is bigger!
I am a recovering alcoholic – 11 years sober. I was a low bottom drunk. There is hope! God does not waste a hurt!
See, I am doing a new thing.-Isaiah 49:13. God promises our life will change, but why does this statement and promise terrify and paralyze me at times? The idea of new?
“The unknown is too scary. Although you’ve been miserable, at least the misery is familiar where you are now.” pg 21
–Boy, have I been there, too afraid to step out in faith, but at times angry at how I’ve allowed my fear to hold me to things that are not “new”.
I WANT NEW, (no matter how scary), and God promises it to me!! I believe Him!
I am sure I got something totally different than anyone else because I was totally ecstatic when I read you adopted from Ethiopia! My husband and I are in the process; we are currently waiting on our referral! Awesome!
My description of a woman with a confident heart: One who looks at difficulties and challenges as another way for God to “show off” and she can laugh and be joyful knowing she is secure in God’s hands. Does this sound a little like the Proverbs 31 woman?
As far as the question of what I can cut back on this week to allow more time with God: I am committing to cut back on the amount of time spent obsessing over what went wrong and spend more time in God’s promises.
“Help my rely on the power of Your promises and live like they are true.”
This is the most profound statement to me. I have to learn to live like they are true even when I don’t feel like it. When I don’t feel like they are true. When I am in a pity party and don’t feel like I want to live like they are true. I have to always live like they are true. If I live like they are true they will become true in my life. This is a similar tactic that Satan uses. He whispers lies in our ears. We hear it enough and start to think about it long enough so we begin to believe it. When we believe it, it becomes true in our life or so we think. So, if I can “believe” the father of lies and live like his words are true, I should be able to live like God’s words are true. Even when I don’t “FEEL” like it.
The one thing that hit me again right between the eyes was that God was for me and that he loves me with a love that is unconditional. That really speaks volumes to me. I did not hear “I love you” from my dad so just hearing it from God is so powerful. He is my Father here on earth and he is for me in everything I do. That gives me hope and strength to keep going with God on my side. I am feeling more confident with just hearing this.
After reading the beginning of this book, I knew it was something I had to get involved in right now. Struggling with confidence has been a life long issue for me and I’m ready to have God-confidence and live out what He has planned for me giving Him glory always and in every circumstance.
Jeremiah 17:7 really hit me hard. I need to not just have my hope in HIm, but let Him be my hope. Wow, how powerful is that? Thank you so much Renee for sharing your heart and for allowing God to use you to help us. Let’s be blessed!!!!
“God calling you to serve Him in way that requires steps of faith, but insecurity has convinced you that you’re not smart enough or gifted enough.” I struggle with this alot. I know in my heart that God has great plans for me, but I have alot of self doubts. I doubt my ability to hear God or even undersatand what His word says in order to apply it to my life. One of the things I believe God is calling me to do is leadership, but I feel very uncomfortable when I have to speak in front of a group of people. I want to overcome this because I want to live in the plans that my Daddy has set for me.
I bought A Confidant Heart a few months ago…before I heard there would be an online study. Something in one of Renee’s online devotions resonated with me. I have been encouraged by reading the comments and finding I am not alone in my insecurities, fears and doubts. I have always had these, but as someone else noted, they have intensified as I have aged. I have allowed some difficult family situations to become the “shadows.” Additionally, we have four beautiful daughters (ages 17-22). As our nest is almost empty, I have discovered just how much of my identity has been “mom.” This past year, in particular, I have lost hope that I will ever be rid of fear and insecurity; page 23 addresses this despair. It encouraged me last month when I read it and again yesterday when I re-read it: “…we need to know and believe that change is possible. We need to hope that life can be different. Otherwise, doubt will win every time and our hearts will be eroded by attitudes and emotions of defeat–but it is not supposed to be this way. God declares with confidence that things can change–‘See, I am doing a new thing!'” A quick request: please pray I find a job that works with family life and in which I can use my gifts and abilities. Fear has held me back for so long.
I am so grateful to read Iam not the only mom who’s identity was lost in her children….I wait patiently for the day I know who I am in Me and nothing but me alone in Christ!! Love to you…Praying…
I have been cut down so many times by other, my confidence level is low. I like your shadow illustration, never thought of it that way. I am looking forward to God doing great things.
I am praying for you Nina….You are a special daughter of a King!!! His Princess…love to you…Peggy
“doubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time,” wow, stated very simple; however, very profound. Those two feelings are extremely contradictory, you can’t hope for a closeness with God if you doubt yourself and intentions. These words really put a new perspective of what I really want in my heart, basically coming to the realization that there isn’t enough room for both, so I need to make the choice to have hope in my heart and get rid of the doubts. Thank you for a great chapter and eye opening thoughts and feelings.
I am so thankful for this study, in fact, I am passing it on to a few others who are struggling. From young to old, this matter of insecurity and lack of confidence plagues women, in particular. I pray for all the women involved in this study, that God may implant His great hope in our hearts and that we may look to Him for our confidence and security and that we may be women that can step out to what He would have us to do, especially out of our comfort zone. Doubt hits me hard by telling me to give up, throw in the towel when things get too painful. I’ve suffered a lot of loss in the last two year, from my parents both dying within 14 months of each other, to a teen who left and is living a life not of God, to my husband leaving me in July. God is slowly and tenderly teaching me that He is my comfort, the one who will never leave, but I’m still struggling with the insecurity and looking to others to fill that need. I am looking foward to this adventure!!
Oh barb…i am so sorry for your losses!! They are huge and somehow it makes my issues seem small, but I cannot minimize my pain. I can thank you for being here and for sharing your heart. What a weapon the accuse has against us!!! They are lies from the pit and I thank God for every woman writing here that is a testimony to the goodness and love we women all have. god made us special and we need each other. I thank you for sharing your heart and am grateful that you are on this journey with me…love your sister in Christ, Peggybythesea
“Self-doubt blocks the promises of God’s power and truth to change from the inside out so that we can live with a confident heart”. This pretty much sums up where I am at right now. In 2000 God put in my heart to do something, at first I was soooo excited, doors were being opened that would have financed the start-up of this adventure. I was to quit my job, God said that He was going to supply all of my needs. I shared this with a few people (what a mistake). Out of all the people I shared this with, one person encouraged me and even to this day asks me about when I was going to get started, and she was the only one not saved that I shared this with.:). So of course the thoughts and voices I heard always told me that I must be crazy to think that I could do this, and I was not hearing from God, but these were my own desires. Well eventually a situation gave me a chance to leave my job, and the thing God told me to do would come up again and again every time I would start out to get started something would come up. Then I started telling myself that I must have been trying to do something out of my own desires. After much thought I realized that the thing God put on my heart to do was defintely something I was not equipped to do in my own strength, my patience for it was not there, and this is something I would not pick for myself to do. After coming to these conclusions DOUBT has flooded me in every area of my life. I am very thankful for this Bible Study, because I have decided I need to get to a place where I face all of my doubts and fears so I can do whatever it is God asks of me.
“The Whispers of Doubt” Oh yes, I know those little voices. They have deflated me more times than I would like to admit. I also loved it when I read “Whose I am and Who I am in Him, I have a confident heart.” As you can see, I like so many of you stand tall in Christ, completely trusting Him and then the next thing I know I am drowning in the Sea of Doubt. I am ready for this journey and to stand on even ground in Christ and serve Him in a confident heart.
You took the words right out of my mouth. Sometimes, i feel like there is two of me.
This is my second time reading through the book. I’m so excited about studying it with Renee. The line that resonated with me this time was “when I choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose I am and who I am in Him, I have a confident heart” (p.24).
I was going to do this study when Melissa was doing it last time and didn’t have time to do it; but saved all the emails. 🙂
When I first came across it I was excited not only to do it for me, but thought what a great study to do with some of the ladies at our church. I am part of the leadership team for our women’s ministry and we had done a bible study in the fall with with one of the ladies in our church leading it. Our pastor’s wife asked those on the leadership team a couple of weeks ago if one of us felt there was something on their heart to do as a bible study and this book/study immediately came to my mind. I stepped up and told her that I felt that I would like to lead this study with the ladies that sign up for it. Talk about a leap of faith!! I definitely struggle in this area and then to say yes I’ll head up the study in an area where I struggle, well you know that I will be relying on the Lord big time for this! We won’t be starting the study until a couple of weeks from now so I’m looking forward to being able to get a head start by doing this study with you online and then leading it with the ladies. I’ve told the ladies that we’re all on equal ground here and I’m doing it along with them. I am really looking forward to what the Lord is going to do in my life as I know He wants me to come up higher and go deeper with Him so that He can equip me for what He has for me this year, and I know He has great things in store for all of the ladies who do it along with me. Thank you, Renee!
That’s awesome Suzanne!
“Doubt keeps us from believing things can get better. Doubt convinces us that it’s not worth the effort.
This is where I have been living for so long…50 something years of it! I have more head knowledge than I know what to do with …Tell my heart, Lord, tell my heart! I have beat myself up over things for no reason logically for so long.It is what I have done, it is what I have known….I raised three sons, it seems the only good thing I have ever done. Now they are busy, married and far away ..My self worth is in the pits, and I have been trying to live out of their lives as it is where my worth lies. My worth is in Christ, my head knows that…My failing marriage and my insecurities tell me different…I am tired of fighting, I am weary from the Battle…I pray this is just not one more study, one more maybe this will work…I know I have to do the work and I will…I strive to walk with God…Thank you Renee…
Peggy By The Sea, I’m praying for you. Trust your journey – it is the way. I’m a few more years into life than you and yet know you, kind of am you. Growing closer to God seems like it is going to take A Confident Heart. Love, Sandy
Oh Sandy thank you….I just woke from a nap, I fight taking those because i wake up so anxious. Be anxious for nothing, says the Lord but the mind is a terrible thing that brings me to the most awful places…i so appreciate your responding to me. I know by reading all of these women’s responses that i am not alone and now i have a friend and sister in you Sandy and in Linda below. Thank you, thank you…God helps us move forward with wonderful women like you in our lives…God Bless you my sweet sister!! I pray your journey in this life gets better daily also!!! <3
Me Too! I am praying for you also. You are at the right place in life and journey. Just think, Peggy by the Sea, everything we go through makes who we are in Christ. You are in the process of becoming one beautiful jewel through this refinement or you can think of it as a rose just beginning to bloom! Either way, it is just the beginning for you. Your friend in Christ, Linda
Thank you Linda….I replied to Sandy above and I say the same to you….I am grateful for new sisters in Christ!!! You also helped me through another day of doubting who I am in Christ!!!
Too often I’ve been discouraged and disappointed because I’ve relied on things or the people in my life to give me hope and confidence.
Jeremiah17:7 says “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”
This verse really spoke to me as I was tackling the questions at the end of chapter 1. It encourages me to be hopeful and confident not only in my everyday circumstances, but also as I step out beyond my comfort zone to do more of the things that I’m too often afraid to even try.
I was actually about a third into the book but decided to stop and go back from the start to do this study. Different things have struck me this time. Like so many, I can’t even remember when I started self doubting, it seems like it’s been me all my life.
” As God’s girls, we need to know and believe that change is possible. We need to hope that life can be different. Otherwise, doubt will win every time and our hearts will be eroded by attitudes and emotions of defeat- but this is not supposed to be the way.”
This is exactly how I feel. I’m looking forward to learning more as we go along.
The section of the chapter that talks about praying to become a mother & then doubting you have what it takes describes my life perfectly. It’s so encouraging to know that others struggle with this as well. The sentence that spoke the most to me is, “…when I choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose I am and who I am in Him, I have a confident heart.” How I pray that my confidence comes only through HIM and who HE has created me to be.
“if God calls you to do something, shouldn’t you feel confident about it? Shouldn’t you want to
do it? Shouldn’t self-assurance be part of God’s equipping?”
How many times have I run from doing something because of my people fears and lack of confidence? I’ve questioned God’s calling and believed the very fears were a confirmation NOT to go! Yet I feel like such a failure because I see little fruit in my life. Am I to be satisfied with the lack ? Am I not satisfied with what He has granted me? Am I limiting God’s best in my life? I do want more of Him but I’m afraid of the cost and the agony of self doubt. Yet I long to hear “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”
I cannot remember a time when I have not be filled with self doubt. I am SO tired of it and I long not to be this way any more. It has crushed my spirit and I am now ready to fight and get it back. What resonated with me was when you spoke of all the things that you went to to try and get them to fill your cup. I so do that. Even though I know God is the ONLY way, I still look for other things to fill that cup. What spoke to me the most from this first day and what I want to hold on to is that I don’t want to just believe IN God, I want to believe Him!!!! That is my prayer.
Janice this comment that you made sounds sooooo like me. I know that God is the only way but look to other stuff to make me feel better. I am not sure I know where to start!! Also, just a little off the subject info you have the same name of my aunt!!! I thought that was really cool! (sorry I just had to throw that in there too!!!)
On the first of the year I made a commitment to do DAILY bible reading and more focused prayer. When I read about this bible study I was moved immediately to buy the book and join the study. Since I have been praying for God to lead me in the direction I should go and to open my heart to hear his voice, I jumped on the opportunity. I tend to over think everything, worry that I may be doing something wrong or offensive, worry that others will think I am silly or whatever and often end up doing, or saying nothing. That is my shadow.
I was moved by your line “We can be confident we are praying God’s will when we are praying God’s Word”
We actually just talked about this in our Sunday School class.
Thank you for leading this!!
Thank you Renee. I appreciated your recalling when and how your Mom reminded you that you had a purpose in Life to fulfill. I pray for all of us who are still discovering our God designed purpose.
How lonely I often feel when I struggle with doubt and insecurities — Believing that other women have it all together and I just don’t measure up! Reading all of the comments posted here tonight helps me to realize that #1 – I am NOT alone. #2 – “Believing” such things tells me that I definitely need to recheck my belief system. Growing up in the church I “knew” a lot about God and the Bible but I can honestly say that I haven’t learned to really, I mean, REALLY believe in His love and promises. In the first chapter where it says that our doubting thoughts weasel their way in and disguise their voices as our own – that just gets me everytime! I’ve always wondered why I get so confused when today’s thoughts are completely different from yesterday’s thoughts. I believe that God has given me this opportunity to find clarity in the midst of those voices so that I can truly BELIEVE in Him. And He has opened a door showing me that He is there with me and so are all of you. I am exciting about what He is going to do! 🙂
The first part of the verse in Hebrews 10: 35,, “So do not throw away your confidence; struck me so hard the first time I picked up the book several monthsths ago. My husband passed away a little over a year ago and since his death I have struggled so much in the areas of confidence, insecurity, and self doubt. One thing I haven’t ever doubted was God and His faithfullness, but the other issues have been big.
My husband was always such an amazing encourager and I never realized what a powerful. positive thing that had been to me (even through his long illness he was an encourager).
The more I read that verse the more I could sense God telling me that I had to begin to find my confidence in Him, and that has begun to turn me around with all those areas of insecurity. So to narrow down just one passage from that first chapter would be impossibleas I have three forths of the chapter underlined, but the verse has made the difference. When you mention in the chapter about praying Gods word that stuck out. That is something I have found comfort in, journaling prayers from the word all through my husbands illness!!
Renee, everything you talk about in chapter 1 speaks exactly what I feel, doubts always whispers in my mind and heart. It’s true that I avoided some great opportunities because they brought the risk of rejection (page 20). Insecurity has convinced me that I’m not smart enough or gifted enough (page 21). We will always be struggling with self doubts and this on line study would be a great help in my daily living with God-confident heart. One thing that hinders me most is lack of self discipline to study and reflect God’s words that would strengthen my faith, maybe you can guide me as well in this area. Thank you.
p. 23 – As God’s girls we need to know and belive that change is possible. We need to hope that life can be different. Otherwise, doubt will win everytime and our hearts will be eroded by attitudes and emotions of defeat.
I am trying hard to “fight” the erosion of my teacher’s heart with this hard school year. I have to constantly keep my attitude and emotions from feeling defeated…I am full of doubt about staying a teacher – my calling upon my life; I have been in education for 15 years. It’s hard for me to beleive that I feel like this after all this time. I am holding onto the promise the beginning of this chapter: Hebrews 10:35-36
What you wrote about not just believing in God but believing Him really resonated with me. I’ve sensed God gently nudging me in that direction recently. It’s like He’s saying, “Ok, you’ve heard and read and studied My Word, now it’s time to launch out and put Me to the test. Do you really believe my promises? Are you ready to embark on the most exciting adventure of your life–truly trusting Me?”