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.
***
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!
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The moment I read the devotion through I forwarded it to a dear friend with the subject line reading "OH WOW."
I then followed your blog link and as I read that I copied and pasted it to an email I sent my mom with a note – a good lesson for us both.
I love how God speaks to us when we need it most. I was just telling a friend this morning that my marital problems are consuming me and instead of running to God for comfort I am pulling away from HIM. Your devotion hit the nail on the head. I felt like it was written just for me. And such a powerful lesson in your blog – from your pastor. “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.”
Thank you for letting me see Jesus through you today.
I posted this to my facebook page. A gift from God to show me what my heart has really been needing and wanting.
I love this devotion! I remember feeling like I needed someone to be accepted but I only needed one, Jesus!!! He's all we need. I forwarded this to friend on Facebook whose son just got home from over seas after almost 3 years and she will have to send him back soon when they find out where he will be his next place to be. He is in the Air force. But she will need all the encouragement she can get. Hopefully this will help.
Your word today God really used YOU. I am sole caregiver for a elder parent who suffered a stroke. Her body is fine her mind affected moderatly an has worsened. She is hostile,beligerant ect. However reconize the enemy is using her to assualt me. God is at work in my life as never before. He is showing me no matter what to believe him,his word and stand not to look to left or right . Set my eyes upon the Master of the Sea and "If God be with me WHO can be against me".thank you, Cindi Herring
this was great! and just what i needed. i was going really good about not worrying with gifts and things but today i woke up very early for some reason and all i could think about was what i still needed to do or get and i that peace i had was gone. after erading this the encouragement it gave me was nice. gave me that feeling of peace back 🙂
After spending several years in the dark, the Lord has graciously called me back to Him. I'm slowly working on rebuilding the relationship that we used to have. Your post couldn't have come at a better time!
I shared these promises with each of my teachers in our Children's Ministry this morning. I thought it would be a great Christmas gift.
Thank you! This spoke to my heart at the very moment I needed it.
Thanks so much for your devotion today.. God is the only one who can fill those empty spaces of my heart. so thank you for that reminder. I need to hear that today.
Thank you so much for today's message. Just what I needed. I've been struggling with being overwhelmed this season and it's manifesting itself in being overbearing with my family and when they don't respond the way I like, a feeling of rejection and being unloved by them. Just this morning after waking up still exhausted and having a heated discussion with my husband, it was decided that I should stay in bed and let my husband get them ready for school. Instead of relishing a couple more minutes of much needed rest, I lay there waiting for the roof to cave in and for my family to miss me and NEED me. This didn't happen. Everyone got out of the house fully clothed and hair combed, etc, without the usualy bickering and nagging. Quite an eye-opener for me and left me feeling empty, until I read your devotion and realized that I'm seeking love and approval from my family and expecting them to show it on my terms, instead of seeking that love from God and allowing him to work on the areas in my life that need changing so that I can inturn show that love to my family in a more appropriate way.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. God Bless.
A friend sent this to me, and I truly needed it. It is amazing how God speaks to us. I look forward to receiving emails from proverbs 31 ministries!! I sent it to my mother in law, friend and sisters. Thank you again!! :)LAM FAM LOVE
Have a blessed Wednesday.
A friend sent this to me, and I truly needed it. It is amazing how God speaks to us. I look forward to receiving emails from proverbs 31 ministries!! I sent it to my mother in law, friend and sisters. Thank you again!! :)LAM FAM LOVE
Have a blessed Wednesday.
I friended you on FB too!
I email the devotions daily during the workweek to family and friends, and today is no exception. Someone is always blessed with the words of the P31 sisters.
Renee:
I will be sharing this with my entire email contact list. I have so many lonely and hurting friends this Christmas. Your message is relevant, timely and much needed.
Thank you,
Thank you, Renee, for reminding me that God loves me just as I am. A year or so ago, I had a man tell me after 4 years of dating that he could not marry me. It was because I was "gaining weight", and my children were still in my home with me. But now I have found a great Christian man who loves me just as I am and loves my kids, too! I am forwarding your devotion to several of my friends today to share God's love with them! Merry Christmas! God Bless!
I'm sharing your post in a variety of ways today. I'm emailing it to a group of women I count among my "prayer warrior" friends. I am also having lunch with friends today and will share it with them too. Thanks for always sending a blessing my way!
The words you wrote always seem to be a personal message for me. God Is Good and I know he is working thru you. Thanks, THANKS,
Yvonne
Thank you so much for today's devotion. I forwarded it to several of my friends this morning, posted it on facebook and even printed the promises. It really was what I needed to hear this morning. I am always amazed at how God does this. When I have a question or thought in my head or am feeling down, God always reveals His answers and gives me encouragement. Today He used your message to be my encouragement. I look forward to reading your book in July.
I also sent the devotional to my sister via email. 🙂
Lindsey