Facebook Party winners announced in the post below this one. 🙂
Today, my friend Kimberly is here to openly share her struggles with condemnation and how it has made her see herself so differently than God does. She’s written something for us below, but first I want to share this powerful 2 minute video she filmed with her church to capture what God was teaching her about the destruction of condemnation and the healing power of His grace:
{If you are reading this post via email, click here to return to my blog to watch the video.}
From Kimberly…
A few years ago, if you would have asked me if I believed that God loved me, I would have told you, “Yes.” Realizing His great love for me has been one of the sweetest truths I have ever come to know.
BUT, if you had asked me if I believed God could use me or would even WANT to use me… well, I would have hemmed and hawed and never really landed on an exact yes or no. Why? Because I felt unusable. My sins and mistakes disqualified me. I looked at myself and saw all of my flaws. I saw deep insecurities. I saw my too often short temper. I saw a lack of discipline, a lack of Biblical knowledge. I saw lack upon lack, failure upon failure.
“Jesus loves me? Yes. He died for me. But Jesus would like to use me. Ummmm…seriously? I think not.”
I love how He corrects our wrong thinking through His Word.
As I sat reading the Bible one day, heart heavy from discouragement, God led me to read John 3:17. It comes right after John 3:16, one of the earliest verses we ever learn about how God loved the world so much He sent His only Son Jesus to die for us so that, believing in Him, we could have eternal life. John 3:17 goes on to tell us more:
“For God did not send His Son Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
I felt the Lord urging me to look up the definition the words “condemn.”
Condemn- 1. to pass an adverse judgement on; disapprove of strongly, censure; 2. a) to declare to be guilty of wrongdoing; convict b) to pass judicial sentence on; inflict a penalty upon c) to doom; 3. to declare (property) legally appropriated for public use; 4. to declare unfit for use or service. (Webster’s Dictionary)
That was exactly how I felt. Unsafe. Unlovely. Unusable.
Convinced that Jesus wanted to wrap caution tape around my life to keep people back. “Stay away from this one. I love her, but she’s still too messed up to be of any use to me. Better stand clear of her.”
The words of John 3:17 coupled with the last definition released a flood of truth and healing over my heart. The Father was whispering tenderly to me. He did not see me as I saw myself. He did not see a condemned building…someone dangerous. Someone unlovely. Someone unusable. He saw someone He loved so much that He would send His only Son to die a shameful and excruciating death for her. He sent His Son to save me. To forgive me. To heal me. To set me free, fill me up, and USE me.
The tears began to flow as He let me know that I am usable. And not only does He find me usable. He wants to use me. I am not the same woman I was 13 years ago.
- I have been forgiven of all of my sins. (1 John 1:9) (even the “big bad” ones)
- I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)
- I have purpose in Him. (Ephesians 2:10)
Let these sweet truths wash over you today. Jesus did not come to label you unusable. He loves you and He has a purpose for your life that is of great use to His kingdom!
Thank you so much Kimberly for sharing your heart and being so honest with us today. I got so much encouragement from your transparency and writing. So many of us can relate to what you shared.
Let’s Connect: So friends…How about you? Do you believe God loves you, yet struggle to believe He could ever use you? Do you struggle to believe He would want to use when you look at your flaws and failures? I’m so thankful for Kim’s message that sets the stage for some real life transparency and hope today.
Do you know someone who feels condemned and like God can’t use them or love them? I’d love to share the truth of God’s unfailing love with them. My book is on sale today through May 11 for $6.99 at Lifeway.com! I know many of you have given it to friends and I want you to be able to do that more now than ever {especially at this price!} after watching the redeeming work Jesus is doing in your lives as we read it together. Click here if you’d like to get a copy for 50% off .
{PS. Save your receipt! I’ll be offering some FREE resources to those who buy a copy of A Confident Herat in May. Working on the details of the special promotion and will post them here by the weekend!}
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Kimberly, your video message is so powerful! Thank you for sharing! So often I have felt, and sometimes still feel, that I am not good enough. Or, I will stay stuck in the past and tell myself that I am flawed and useless because of past pain and mistakes. Thank you for reminding me in John 3:17 that God sent Jesus to save us and not condemn us. Once I have repent of my sins, I am forgiven! And, I need to forgive myself and live the life that God has for me, and not allow the devil to let me live my life in shame.
Thank you and God bless! 🙂
Learning to receive and rest in that forgiveness – that is huge! Blessings to you as you trust His love for you and cling tightly to His Word!
Thank you so much for sharing Kimberly! That is very powerful picture (the condemned building) When I look at my life from that perspective, I can really see that God can and wants to use me.
So glad He spoke to your heart through it!
I am still struggling with the “God love me ” thing. I sit here lonely with no one to talk to. I “know” in my head that God lives me and that I can talk to him. I just can not for the life of me get it to my heart. Why would God love a emotional reck, a horrible mom, wife, friend, a person full of depression and anxiety who thinks everyone abandons her? I can’t get it. I am trying to get put of this hole but its not working. Thank you Kimberly for the video and verse I will try to hold on to it.
Praying for you, Shannon. I think I had to get to a place of no longer trying to figure out WHY He would want me and simply thank Him for the truth that He DOES want me. Me with all of my yucky past, me with all of my junk right now. Romans 5:8 says Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. He knew what He was getting when He chose us. He saw it all and still picked you and me. Praying the truth of His love will sink down deep into your heart. Keep clinging to His Word and pressing into His presence. Blessings, K
Thank you Kimberly.
THANK YOU Kimberly,
I really needed to hear this message. I so oftern times feel “condemed” like the building unsafe, unusable. I suffer with BiPolar Disorder and its a daily struggle to to get over the mistakes of my past, the reality of my future, and the lies in my head that I am not good enough. I needed to hear that through it all God has a plan and I will be used for something I am not deemed condemed. Thank you.
Praying for you and for every woman battling these lies of condemnation. Praying what I typed in an earlier reply – that God will help us tear down the “condemned” signs in our lives and instead help us to write in permanent marker on our hearts what HE says about us – that we are Loved, Chosen, Redeemed, Set Free, Adopted, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, and totally Usable!
Wow thank you for your testimony Kimberly. I have been condemned by many people in my life for a long time. Right now in this very moment I feel unusable. I am a stay at home mom of three and now have two bulging discs in my neck preventing me from being able to care for my house or my children. I cant do much with no use of left arm and hand. So last night during renees facebook party i decided to make a group to where we women could connect on facebook and talk about the book and give and get feedback. I feel its making a positive out of negative
Praying for you! Great big ouch on the two bulging discs! And praying He shows you ways that you are indeed usable right now – even in the simplest but most meaningful of ways.
Thank you Kimberly, I too felt that I am forgiven and loved by God, but not usable. I compared my life to family members, friends, and even strangers and I thought I had soooo much less, proof God could not use me. Today i know i am a new creation, lovable, and usable in God’s kingdom. 🙂
🙂 Hooray for truth! Praying for you as you daily choose to continue to believe you are all He says you are!
Thank you Kimberly for sharing. I had not look at v 17 like you shared, I will be studying this too. This chapter 7 of the book has lead me to so many scriptures. I am grateful for your story and the building illustration was wonderful, God can use us , no matter how broken we’ve been, He sees the beautiful in us…how awesome is that. I have been telling my 36 year old daughter about this book, she is struggling alot with her past. I gave her the Uglued book Lysa wrote, and she finally bought this book (A Confident Heart), she has only read the first 2 chapters and has called me sobbing….I will share your story with her, I am so grateful for all of you, My heart has been so light since this study, I love that God loves me the way I am, I was broken and He made me new.. A new creation .Thank you for the scriptures…
You know a book is good when you give it away to others. And I have given Renee’s book away to others, too! I loved reading how God is touching both your heart and your daughter’s heart with this book and with His Word. Beautiful testimony of His love! Blessings to you!
Thank you Kimberly for sharing your story. One of my mothers favorite Bible verse is John 3:16. I have read John 3:17 before but it hasn’t made its impact on me until now. Hearing and reading what you said about that verse gave it a whole new meaning to me. My struggles are much like you described. I listened to the video more than once. I know what God has put in my heart but doubt keeps me from doing what I should be doing. I say, to myself, “your good enough is not good enough”. Someone else can always do it better. God can use better people, smarter people. I am learning so much about myself in this Bible study. Many things I have hidden to avoid rejection and shame.
Thank you, so very much, Renee for this study and for the videos.
I am SO glad you are reading Renee’s book and going through this study. Such HOPE found in the pages of her book – and all because her hope comes from the pages of HIS Book! 🙂 Blessings to you as you believe God’s Word is totally true for YOU!
Kimberly – Thank you for sharing! Your video really touched my heart! Thank-you!
Thank you, Christina! I am just so thankful for how He loves on us through His amazing Word!
Ohh dear sister in Christ, this is one of the most POWERFUL video clips I have had to pierce my soul. I have condemned myself so much through the years, it has been a struggle but God is showing me I DON’T HAVE TO, I am free because He is truth and not condemnation which is satan. I am learning that I AM HIS MASTERPIECE. Thank you so much for your transparency! God bless you.
Blessings to you, sweet Jenny, as you grab hold of His Word for YOU! Believing it and receiving it for yourself. Hugs to you!
Kimberly,
I loved your messages this morning. It’s the failures since I became a Christian that weigh me down and make me feel unlovable and unworthy. Thank you for the very timely reminder of God’s love and that he can use what I think is ‘unusable’.
Thank you for sharing!
Ali
Me, too! I think I had an easier time receiving His forgiveness for the sins that came during the time of my life when I totally denied Him. The stuff after I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior? What absolute shame I felt! Learning to remember we ALL fall short. We ALL need grace. We ALL need fresh mercies – DAILY. 🙂 May we rest in His love and fully receive His forgiveness.
Even our failures can be redeemed and used by God to give hope to others. It’s not a fun way to go, but I guess even a bad example is better than no example at all, right? “Here, see this? Don’t do it. Don’t believe the lie behind it.”
Praise God for the ways He works ALL things together for the good of those that love Him. 🙂
Thank you for sharing, dear sister Kimberly!! Just recently God laid this verse on my heart and mind too. Now I can not stop with just saying John 3:16 I have to include verse 17 all the time!! Amen!!!
Awesome! Don’t you just love when He brings the same verse to your attention over and over in different places? Blessings to you as you trust in and cling to His Word!
Thank you for this reminder. So often I feel my world is so small, working from home and having a special child. I feel so often that I am unable to do things for the Lord and others, because of the needs at home. I often feel that I am unusable outside. Watching the video reminds me that this is where God is using me. My daughter is such a special being. We don’t have to go outside to be used. It is just as important to be used where we are and where we are needed.
Loving and caring for your daughter – that is 100% being used by God! I think the enemy LOVES to feed us the lie that being used by God only happens outside of our homes – belittling our hugely important roles as wives and mothers. (He sure has done it with me many times!) What seems small is tremendous to your daughter. Blessings to you as God uses you in mighty ways within your own home. He sees your love, your faithfulness, your heart of service. Blessings to you!
I took a while to realize this but God was even using me before I accepted Christ. Only now I know it and am joyful to serve Him.
So glad you are able to serve the Lord with joy! A blessing indeed!
Sweet ladies, I just wanted to leave a quick note before I go to get my girls from school. I will be back later this evening (if not in small spurts in the afternoon) as we have homework, dinner, and church. Know that I will be praying for each of you and will come by later to chat more. THANK YOU for letting me share what God has done in my life, Renee.
Yes, I know God loves me. I’ve often made the mistake of comparing myself to others He is using, which makes me feel I’m not where I should be in my walk and not of use, at least not now. I need to keep reminding myself that He wants to use me where I am, not where I want to be.
I love that, Barbara! He wants to use us where we ARE, not where we want to be! Great word. And that comparison trap? Ugh! One we need to avoid for sure. One I know I have to watch out for on a regular basis! Blessings to you as you are used by Him!
Yes, I believe God loves me.
I use to pray and pray for God to use me to reach others and always felt a “no” answer. Recently, I’ve come to realize that answer was “wait.”
Today, I can see God using me, but it’s not in the way I had anticipated. Even still, I am very thankful and praise God for all he does through me.
I have had my fair share of “no”s and “wait”s, as well. And I have also had places where I did not realize being used by Him can be something as small as choosing kindness, being faithful to pray for others, or even just sending a card of encouragement. Stay willing – I know He will pour His love out through you!
Thank you so much Kimberly for sharing your struggles and your perception and also your hope of renewal and change in your life based on God’s undying love and TRUTH! Amen.
Thanks, Elizabeth! I am so thankful for the HOPE we have in Him! Blessings!
thank you Kimberly and Renee. My heart hurts all the time from the weight of condemnation. Not being good enough, not worthy, a failure. I’m trying to do the hard work of “rewiring my brain” to truth. After 40 some years of believing the lies they are so a part of me; who I am. Now I say scripture out loud and pray this would create new pathways in my brain. It is very hard and does not happen quickly. I am encouraged by your storyKimberly but most of me says “it’s not going to be that way for me”. Lie. I gues I have to keep fighting.
You are SO right that this is not an overnight process. I have been learning these truths and “rewiring” my own brain with His Word and His help for quite a while now. It is like Renee says in her book – it is a daily choosing. Choosing to believe what HE says about me. I love that you are saying Scripture out loud. That is great! I have to get kind of loud with it sometimes – on those days where I feel like the enemy is a bit loud with the condemnation. Keep pressing in! He is faithful and His Word will not return to Him void – it WILL accomplish much in your life! Isaiah 55:10,11