{WELCOME Encouragement for Today Readers & Online Study Friends!!}
In my P31 Encouragement for Today devotion, I posed the question… Do you ever feel like you don’t measure up?
And now I want us to dig a little deeper. Have you ever stopped to ask, “Who is saying these things? Who is causing me to doubt myself? Is it me? Has something from my past led me to believe this? Or is it the enemy of my soul disguising his voice as my own?”
It is crucial for us to realize we have an enemy. Satan is the father of lies, and there is no truth in him (John 8:44). And he loves when we believe his deception and fall into the distraction of feeling inadequate and insecure. {It’s a huge distraction!}
The meaning of the word lie is “a falsehood with the intent to deceive.” Satan intends to deceive us and he does so by getting us to take our eyes off of who we are in Christ and focus on our flaws. That way we’ll spend our days figuring out how we can hide them. It’s exactly what he did with Eve:
“Then the eyes of both [Adam and Eve] were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’
He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’” (Gen. 3:7–11)
In response, God asked who told them they were naked. In other words, “Who told you that something is wrong with you?” By asking this, God made sure they knew someone was casting shame on them—and it wasn’t Him.
The enemy whispered lies into their hearts, causing them to move away from Him and from each other.
Satan’s intent is the same for you and me as it was for Eve, but we don’t have to go along with him. Instead we can refute his lies and temptations with truth. If we have put our trust in Christ as our Savior, we can stand on the promises of who we are in Him.
When you’re tempted to measure up today, focus “up” instead and remember Whose you are and who you are! Here is a compilation of Scriptures to remind us of who we are in Christ.
I am accepted . . .
- John 1:12 I am God’s child.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
- Ephesians 1:3–8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
- Hebrews 4:14–16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
I am secure . . .
- Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
- Romans 8:31–39 I am free from condemnation. I cannot be separated from God’s love.
- 2 Corinthians 1:21–22 I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.
- Colossians 3:1–4 I am hidden with Christ in God.
- Philippians 1:6 I am confident God will complete the good work He started in me.
- 2 Timothy 1:7 I have been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
I am significant . . .
- John 15:16, I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17–21, I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
- Ephesians 2:6, I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
- Ephesians 2:10, I am God’s workmanship.
- Ephesians 3:12, I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
- Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Which one of these promises encourages your heart most today?
Slip me a note and let me know what’s on your heart as you read this and/or my devotion through Proverbs 31 Ministries today. Simply click on “share your thoughts” below this post and your note will be placed in the drawing for our…
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I had gotten behind in my studying and was feeling pretty low but I knew that the Lord wanted me to finish as I felt His prompting every day. So this weekend at our church family camp I took the opportunity to catch up. WOW! This study has been so timely for me. I am so excited to heal and forgive from my past and move forward in the confident hope of my Jesus. I have put my energy into so many other things and expecting them to fill me ~ my husband, my kids, my friends. What freedom to simply rely on on Jesus as my all-in-all for EVERYTHING !!! How this frees up my relationships to have room for other things besides my insecurities <3
thank you for todays encouragement. i def. feel insecure and not confident and i am not really sure why. i have always been an insecure person and find as time goes on that I really need to figure out what it is because my life just keeps reflecting the fact that i am insecure and it causes me to just be miserable. wether it be from my past or present both have made me the sad insecure woman i am today. i pray to tap into the confidence and security that God so desires for me to have.
Meaghan ~ I will be praying for you dear sister. What you wrote is exactly how I was feeling and one of the reasons I started this study. My insecurities were ruining my marriage and my friendships with other women as well as just dragging me down, down, down every day. I will praying that the Lord will bless you and heal your heart and help you find your confidence in HIM <3
I struggle so much with Satan’s lies that I am unwanted and inadequate. Thank you for this message today reminding me these are lies from Satan & giving me the right things to listen to about how God looks at me.
1 John 5:18 I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me.
I need to hear this now more than ever. I am really making an effort to get closer to my higher power for the first time in my life. Thank you so much for your wisdom and I’d love to be considered for any giveaways of the book.
I have always struggled with feeling “good enough”. My childhood, teenage years, and early twenties were full of teasing, humiliation, condemnation, and lots of abuse…more than enough to implant the thought that I would NEVER be good enough for anything. These verses and FOR ME messages are helping me (slowly but surely) to realize that God created me as I am, and I am His daughter, and He loves me as I am, as He made me, wanted me to be, and exactly as He knew I would be. I fight Satan’s influences and negative messages daily, and frequently don’t win the battle with them, but I’m getting there.
Before I begin, I just wanted to share that I read all the previous posts and it blows me away how similar I am to all of you in our thinking and circumstances. It’s reassuring because it confirms to me I am not alone and also confirms the power of God’s promises in scripture. Thank you all for sharing, I really enjoy reading and learning more about you and how God is transforming us!
The promise that really empowers me today is:
2 TIM 1:7 I have been given a spirit of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND.
Of the many whispering thoughts in my mind is the one that ‘ I must be crazy to feel like I do with all that I have’. Too often I am temporarily paralized by my negative thoughts, but I have POWER AND LOVE to overcome and not give up on my journey with Jesus, which leads me to the second scripture that encourages me to not give up!…
Phil 1:6 … I am confident God will complete the good work He started in me!
What wonderful promises we have!!
Blessing to each of you
Thank you so much Renee
What encouraging words ~ thank you for sharing!
Needed this today, it is one of those days where I just feel like I’m not good enough and never will be no matter how hard I try! I need to keep reminding myself that I am somebody, I am Gods daughter!! Everything happens for a reason, all in Gods timing! Thank you for such encouraging words.
I really enjoy reading your posts….it helps me to remember that I am not the only one feeling this way….thanks for the encouragement! 🙂
I am constantly trying to be “good enough.” Good enough for my husband, good enough for my job, ect. I sometimes compare myself to the women at my church ,and feel insignificant even though I know their lives probably aren’t perfect either. This message reminds me that I only have to be good enough for God. I love Ephesians 1:3–8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child. Knowing I am His daughter makes me feel very special, as we all are! Thanks for this message Renee!!!
What a great encouragement! I really enjoyed the verse:
■2 Timothy 1:7 I have been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
What promises from God! I have power from Him, I can love others, I have been given a sound mind to do His works and love on others.
Amen Susan!!
That scripture promise empowers me today too!!!
Blessings
Karen
Such an encouraging blog this morning from Renee. I really did need to be reminded of this because we do not have to measure up to the standards of man but only to Gods standards. Thanks for the reminder. It truly encouraged and blessed my heart today.
I am chosen by God, I cannot be seperated from God and I can do all things through Christ. What a beautiful message.
I love all those verses that you’ve placed under I’m accepted, I’m secure, I’m significant.
I really love the verse “I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me.” 1 JOHN 5:18.
Anytime, I feel like all odds are against me, I know God is for me! I loved in this chapter about the AM & FM thoughts.
It’s only Week 6, and I can already see how I have a lot more confidence in God and his Word, then I did when I first began this. God is really teaching me so much through this study! It’s nice to be surrounded by people who are looking for more confidence in God.
I still live with my parents, and they don’t go to church anymore… they started, and quit again…after 10 years. Sometimes, I feel maybe that’s why I haven’t got married yet, or have moved out yet… so just like they did in my early years, by taking me to church and pointing me to the right direction…. maybe God can use me now to point them back to Him. I know that whatever the circumstances are of me not being married yet, and I’m 24… God is working things together for good. My parents WILL go back to church, and truly experience a personal relationship with God again…. I thank God for this study, for you Renee and the wisdom you have in God. God bless you! and all you other women who are in this as well!
I can’t wait till we get to the last week, for I believe God is really going to get me and all of us, such a boldness and confidence in God and his Word. He will help us stand on His Word! To not just believe that he can, but believe that he WILL, and praise Him already for the answers to prayers that have still yet to come.
Renee,
I’m so thankful to read this today. I often find myself in the comparison game. At the beginning of this year, I started going through the Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil T. Anderson. It was only then that I realized how Satan uses his demons to bring accusatory thoughts against us. I thought they were all my thoughts. It helps to know that I can submit myself to God and resist the devil and he will flee. I don’t have to just stand there and take it. I’m thankful for the promises that I am secure in Christ. Thanks for sharing
My parents always encouraged me to be the best that I can be. I didn’t consciously compare myself to a specific person or group, but I still used the wrong measuring stick–me. Instead of reading God’s word and finding out who I am in Him, I had my own idealized notions of who I could be and what I should be doing. I “succeeded” in the academic sense and professionally, but I was making the wrong choices in relationships, including in marriage. I hurt others and myself along the way, trying to control outcomes and interactions, instead of accepting them for who they were. It took many difficult trials for the Lord to show me that I could rest in Him and stop striving. By meditating on His word and listening to His voice, I realized that He accepted me just the way I was and that I should accept who I was and stop pushing to some imagined ideal. It is a day-by-day process. Thank you for reminding me, Renee, that He is still working in me, still sanctifying me. I want to enjoy the moment and the journey in Christ.
Renee, I am blown away by the abundance of Scriptures that you have complied here! It is blissfully overwhelming grace! The one that stands out to me is 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. I am secure. Wow. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing these truths. I am often critical of myself and have a hard time believing that I can ever be significant. I know in my heart that what you are saying is true and I need to get my focus in the right direction. Today, the truth that God will complete the good work He has started in me spoke to me in a real way. I am so grateful for Proverbs 31 ministries and the devotions that you ladies share. It seems to hit just the right subject at the proper time. That is God’s hand on your work!
Hi Aimee
That promise also encouraged me today, I have read it and heard it before but today I really believe that He will ALWAYS finish what He starts.
I know that HE has started a good thing in me (and YOU), who am I TO DOUBT THAT HE WON’T FINISH IT!
Blessings to you
Karen
I was feeling rather low when I read your post on Proverbs 31 ministries today. THANK YOU for reminding me what God has said about me. I recently received a notice that I have been let go from my position next year as an elementary music teacher. I have worked SO hard this year to prove myself to my principal, the staff and the students. But what I forgot was that the school district makes these decisions of hiring and firing. I really felt lime a complete failure when I woke up this morning. The father of lies was in full swing in my head. This is why I thank you and all the ladies who contribute to this ministry. Without you, living in Alaska would be very hard, but with the encouragement you provide, God continues to minister to His children and continues His work. I promise if I do win this book, I will pass it on to others doing ministry in this this state. It will not sit on my shelf. These are timeless truths that desperately need to be shared.Thanks again and may the Lord continue to bless His ministry to His children.
Laurie,
God does not close one door without opening another. I too lost a part time job yesterday. I still have my other job but I know that this is now freeing me up to do something else for God. And I’m so excited to learn what it will be!
My favorite promises are Romans 8:28 and Phillipians 4:13.
The Enemy whispers to me in the voice of my abusive ex-husband and my narcissistic sister. With other people, I feel pretty confident in who God says I am. But those two have planted seeds of doubt in my heart and I want God’s Word to flourish and choke those seeds out of existance.
God bless your ministry!
Jenn
I really enjoyed your devotion. Since it is now summer, I have been looking for an encouraging book to read that relates to some things I have been going through as a woman. I love the verse that says I am God’s workmanship. So many times as women we feel the need to constantly compare ourselves with others, which leads to a lot of self-doubt. Having dealt with this for so long, I am loooking for ways to overcome it for myself and for those young women I mentor. Thank you for your encouragement and Godly wisdom.