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 have posted this to my Facebook page to all of my 384 friends. 2010 was a year that I spent struggling with these issues. I am finally coming to see that my hope has to be in God alone because humans will fail. It is not an easy concept to accept and work through. It is painful and I have lost trust in so many people whom I once believed in. It has been an overwhelming journey for me this year but I am embracing it and seeking God's guidance and praying for holy discernment. Looking forward to your book. Sound like something that can help me as I journey on.
Wow, this was the word I needed today- and I shared it on Facebook so everyone I know can read it as well!
I really need this book. Thanks for praying for me.
I sent this email to a few friends of mine.
This devotion is so good and it reminded me that I am His.
Sweet blessings
Sheena
I shared about this giveaway on Twitter. Here is the tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/LongWait4Bella/statuses/15587135419580416
God really used you to speak to me through this message. I can relate very well when it comes to being disappointed, hurt, and feeling rejected by man. My Father loves me! He is healing me and filling all of the places in my heart to make me whole again. Thanks! By the way, I emailed several family and friends regarding God's promises and your devotional as well as sharing about your giveaway on Facebook.
Thank you. I forwarded this on to a 16 year old girl I am caregive of who needs to hear this message. She is always trying to fit in and she struggles so hard with finding acceptance in others. Thank you for the chance to win.
[email protected]
This devotional spoke to the deep longing in my heart that seems to always be there, crying out to "be chosen", to be cherished, to be valued, to be loved.
I forwarded your devotion to almost 100 girlfriends and have received some really great responses of gratefulness from some of them.
I am posting on this blog for the first time from the prov. 31 ministries devotion. I have just been encouraging my friend whom a man she had just begun dating decided he would give the ex-fiance from two years ago another try when she called him. My friend was very hurt and disappointed. You are SO right, Jesus is our True Prince!
I sent the prov. 31 devotion to 6 people and included how to come here to your blog and sign up for a chance to win this package.
Merry Christmas,
Amanda
Olive Branch, MS
Thanks for sharing, I loved being reminded. Milissa Jenkins
Thanks for sharing, I loved being reminded. Milissa Jenkins
I just LOVE the cover design of your new book. It's absolutely beautiful…just like you!!!
Love ya,
Leah
There's some family members that I allow to do this to me over and over again. This really hit home for me – thank you for the encouragement.
Renee,
We share such similiar life stories and trials and your words of encouragement help me more than you know. I feel like I am reading about myself many times in the "Journey of My Heart". I needed to hear today's message and will share it with my teenager as well. Jesus shines through you. Thank you for allowing Him to use you for the good to weary souls. Please pray for my marriage. My husband walked out on the kids and I twice this years after 20 years of marriage. I am very weary, feeling alone with no family near and missing my deceased grandmother terribly. Your Confident Heart Promises were right on time. I covet your prayers. I have shared this with 3 times. Thank you, again from my heart.
In His Grip,
Anonymous
I like to give this to my daughter its something she is struggling through right now .
Thank you I am going to print part of your devotion and give it to my children in their stocking on some nice pretty glittery paper for them to keep in their Bibles. I will have it too, it was what I needed to "put my boots" on today and keep going!
oh have shared via email.
Blessings,
kareng
Sharing with a friend!!!
I don't have facebook but I shared the Proverbs devotional, your blog and scriptures especially with a friend who has a daughter seeing her self-worth through her boyfriend's eyes (very timely post)and encouraged her to enter the giveaway, and shared the devo and scriptures with a sister who desperately needs to know that God loves her.
Thank you for the reminder that we need to always look to God to fill the empty places in our heart and not look to others or things to complete us.
Merry CHRISTmas,
Donna
I love the devotional! As I read, I thought to myself how could someone else feel the same as me. Thank you for sharing and encouraging. You have been a blessing today.
Good evening. I shared all 3 ways with friends. I look forward to sharing with more friends from my desktop.