I have a give-away and a special “welcome” for new friends hopping over from my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion. I hope you’ll make yourself comfortable and stay a while. Before we get started, I wanted to show you my book cover!! I can’t believe the cover is in catalogs and the book will be on shelves July 2011! All I can say is wow God.
In my devotion today, I wrote about our longing to be chosen. From the time I can remember, I wanted someone to choose me. To value me. To want me. Someone other than my parents, that is.
Do you remember the first time you wanted someone to choose you? Maybe it was a game on the playground, a position on a team or an invite to a party.
Wanting to be chosen plays into our question of whether we’re good enough to be chosen, doesn’t it? But, when someone says or does something that makes us feel good enough, it fills an empty place in our hearts where the longing was before.
Then they change their mind or hurt our feelings, and our filled-up place leaks. Our good enough drains out and our confidence goes with it. A sense of inadequacy leaves us feeling empty again.
There are several things that have happened to make me feel like I wasn’t good enough. I recently started sharing a part of my story that I hadn’t shared before, and I’ve discovered almost every woman can relate. I don’t have the whole message available today, but I have a 2min video segment that I’d like to share with you.
Note: The first 20 sec are photos/titles because we use this for event promotions, but it’s pretty quick. Just click the arrow to watch, and then scroll down to read the rest of my post. But be sure to watch this first, or it won’t make sense.
More than anything, I just want you to know I understand. I have felt the cavernous emptiness that comes with painful rejection from someone you love. It’s hard to believe I can smile about it now, and share lessons I’ve learned. When it happened, I was devastated. Crushed. Wounded. Convinced I’d never be good enough.
I remember going to my pastor, asking him to help me process the pain and excruciating sadness. I wanted him to tell me how awful my fiancé was and how I had the right to feel betrayed and deceived. I’ll never forget him saying, “Renee, you can’t put your hope in a man; you can only put your hope in God. A man’s love will always disappoint you.”
Honestly, I wanted to throw something at him. I didn’t want him to correct me; I wanted him to side with me. How can you love someone and not put your hope in them? I questioned.
Deep down, though, I knew he was right. I’d always put my hope in a man’s love and been disappointed. I’d tried to find my good enough in what others thought about me and now I had to face my fear of not being chosen.
I needed to separate myself and my worth from a man’s decision to want me or not. I had to hold his words and preferences up to God’s Word and cling to the promise that He chose me and would never reject me. In time, healing came. As I recovered from being unwanted by a man, I embraced the fullness that comes in knowing I am completely accepted by God. I learned how to let Him fill the empty places in my heart and help me find my good enough in Him.
God gave us the deep desire to be chosen, loved and accepted so He could fill and fulfill that desire. He chooses us. He loves us. And through Christ, He accepts us. If we didn’t long for love and acceptance, we’d never recognize our need for His.
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1) Send this post or a link (with God’s promises below) to someone who might need to know just how much God loves them.
2) Tell a friend (via email, twitter or Facebook) about today’s give-away and how they can enter to win here.
3) Share today’s devotion,You’re the One I Want with someone who needs to be reminded that God sees them and chooses them again and again!
4) Click the word “comments” at the bottom of this post, to tell me which one, two or three you did. Each time you share the love, you’ll be entered to win! For another chance, let me know if and how God spoke to your heart through today’s messages.
Confident Heart Promises
When I feel unimportant, God says: I am CHOSEN.
“You are my witness,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He.” Is 43:10
When I feel worthless, God says: I am LOVED.
“You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.” Is 43:4
When I feel forgotten, God says: I am REMEMBERED.
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Is 49:16
When I feel abandoned, God says: I am NEVER ALONE.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge… Ps 73:28
When I feel inadequate, God says: I am SECURE.
“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” Deut 33:12
Check back Monday for more encouragement, my final Christmas give-away and the name of today’s winner! If you’d like to be notified, you can sign up in my sidebar for email updates, follow me in Google connect, or friend me on Facebook!
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I am emailing this to friends. It's so important to hear this – especially during the holidays. Thanks again!
Today I sent this to my sister in law. She just accepted the lord this past Sunday. We went to church together for the first time at her suggestion. She has been searching for a long time and I finally said, "you need god". That is all I said because Ididn't want to push. that was enough and now she is beginning a new wonderful life filled with god
Renee,
Can't wait to read your book. I have forwarded the links to your devotion, posted it on my facebook and sent out tweets. Hope it blesses others. Proverbs 31 Minitries has been such a blessing in my life over the last year or so and I cannot speak enough praise as to how all the ladies have ministered to me through their personal journey's toward wholeness.
Christmas Blessings.
Juli
I am forwarding the devotion to friends. [email protected]
Thank you for today's devotion! Your words are awesome and inspirational. I posred the link to the devotion on Facebook; so many people can benefit from this especialy around this time of the year.
Thank you!!!
Tonya
Your message today was what my sould needed. At 42 I have finally found a man that will never leave or forsake his name is Jesus. My biological father left me, I saw him once at seven, and held his hand when he died at forty. I wasted so many years of not knowing this man because of anger and guilt. Due to being left I always look for someone to fill a fathers shoes. Someone to step up and take care of me. Someone to want this outspoken, athletic, fun-loving, lady. A man I call dad now adopted me however, that daddy daughter relationship never formed. He provides for finanacial needs but emotional not so much. Then I latched on to every guy I ever dated trying to fill that void. What a mess. I married a man I love him dearly, but you guessed it he could not fill the void. I have two wonderful boys and they too could not fill the void. The only one was Jesus. It took hardship after hardship…whys…what is wrong with me….why am I not able to be loved like everyone else then the best gift of all Jesus. I am not able to tell you the exact date or time frame but since I realized He is the only Man who truly loves me for me, life has been amazing. Thanks for your words today I needed them. I cannot wait to read your book because as we know Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I will need your book to put him back into his place under the rock of my Lord and Savior. Merry Christmas,Daphne
What a wonderful message to share! For all of my teen years, I based my opinion of myself largely on what the guys thought of me. Heartbreak after heartbreak finally led me to the One who will never leave me or disappoint me. This is now a message that I wish every teen girl would hear and grasp.
I have forwarded this e-mail version of this post to a few close friends and posted a link to the blog on Facebook.
Thank you for sharing your testimony!
Hey Renee,
I'm in. Such a great word. I shared this link with a friend of mine who's really needing some encouragement today.
Paula G.
I shared today's devotion with both my daughter and daughter-in-law. They are both amazing but over-worked moms who don't hear how great they are nearly often enough.
I am always amazed to find how many other women deal with the feeling of insecurity and self-esteem. Sometimes I feel I am out there alone. Thank you for reminding me that I am created the image of God, how cool is that? I have the spirit of the creator of the universe living in me, awesome! Thank you for reminding me.
Renee,
Thank you so much for this wonderful uplifting piece.It came at the perfect time for my feeling of an unchosen heart. God always amazes me with his timing, when I feel so low. I sent this to 3 friends via e-mail, who I am certain it will uplift and encourage.
God Bless you…
Margo I sent this to some of my friends. This touched me so much a tear was running down my cheek as I read it. Thank you.
Amazing is all I can say. I sent the devotional to my daughter and my niece. I cried because the words written was what I needed to read! I read it out loud because I needed to hear them. The last two years have been what I call a place from a place. Being unemployed for those last two years have brought me to a place of feeling unwanted, unneeded, unappreciated, useless, worthless, guilt, ashamed, and depressed. I have revisited places in my life that had caused much pain the death of my 11years old son, the stupid and crazy mistakes I've maded in life, and other areas of weaknesses. Telling myself i desreve to be be where i am! To read your devotional has lift my heart to know that Yes, Jesus Loves Me!!! In spite of what the enemy is trying to do I can trust in God's love.
God is a good God faithful and true to His word
i believe from to today that He fills that empty place in my heart.
The hurt and disappointments and take me back to our quiet time alone
have blessed season filled with His great love for us
Thank you so much you have touched me and give me hope again
God Bless
I friended you on Facebook and I emailed your devotion to my friend. Thanks for sharing! I think many women feel the same way you did-perhaps we all do at one point in our lives.
Visit me at A Busy Woman's Life http://www.abusywomanslife.com
God woke me at 5am. He has missed the time I was spending in His word. What a treasure today's message…I share with with my mentor Julie. I tell my teen daughter God fills the empty spaces…it is good for me to hear the same for me.
blessings
Kay
God woke me at 5am. He has missed the time I was spending in His word. What a treasure today's message…I shared with with my mentor Julie. I tell my teen daughter God fills the empty spaces…it is good for me to hear the same for me.
blessings
Kay
Well, I posted this to 332 of my facebook friends. It really spoke to me. And I told them all about the contest too. It took some time, but I'm sure it will speak to someone else as well. Thanks for the words of encouragement! I knew God had something for me the 4:00 am.
Hi i thank you for the encouragement i open my heart today for Him to fill the empty places
i have send it to two people via e-mail
God bless you
not sure this counts, but i posted the devotion to my facebook page. it is really awesome! thanks for sharing, i needed to hear this! : )