Does stress impact our confidence? Today I’ve asked my friend Tracie Miles, author of Stressed-Less Living to share how stress once diminished her confidence and threw her into a pit of doubt causing her to question her ability to fulfill God’s plans for her life.
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Although it was seven years ago, I remember it as if it were yesterday. Every morning I dragged myself out of bed, dreading another stressful and emotionally draining day at my job. A job which I had grown to hate, working for a supervisor whom I had grown to fear.
Not only was I overwhelmed with job stress, I was trapped in a deep pit of despair that was filled to the brim with doubt, low self esteem and zero confidence.
My heart and my mind were ravaged with turmoil. I had a demanding and stressful workload and a supervisor who used continual harsh words and often unwarranted criticism.
Even though I gave 100% and tried to do my best, I started doubting whether or not I was good at my job. Eventually my doubts began to creep into my personal life as well. Thoughts like “maybe I’m not a good enough wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend…” plagued my heart. Self condemnation started consuming my thoughts, and eventually I hit an all time low in self-confidence.
Juggling all the stress and pressures of the workplace was nothing compared to trying to carry the crushing weight of self-doubt.
The time finally came when I admitted I needed to make a change in my life. You see, I knew God had been calling me for several years to lay down my job, and allow Him to lead me into new places, but I had been too afraid and too insecure. But change was necessary, or else my physical and emotional health would continue to decline.
I resigned from that position, and although I no longer had the stress of corporate responsibilities, my life was still filled with many other stressors. Yet, upon leaving my job, I picked up my Bible more than ever before. And when I started making my walk with Christ a priority, I came to realize that even though my life was still stressful, my heart was at peace.
Why? Because as my faith grew, my self confidence grew with it. You see, I was coming to realize that my value is based on who I am in Christ, not who a supervisor said I was. I embraced the acceptance and value God promises, tucked in Deuteronomy 14:2, which says “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” (NLT)
As my heart slowly healed from the brokenness of a broken person’s words, my spirit began to soar. God helped me understand that my value lies in Him, not in the approval or acceptance of the world. I need not base my self worth, intelligence or value based on what man or woman says, but on what God says about me instead.
It was a long journey, but the more I kept my eyes focused on Christ, the more my self confidence increased. I not only discovered my confidence again, I also learned that God is the answer to our stress, no matter what form it comes in.
And I finally found a calmness in my spirit that was not present simply because I left a stressful job, but because I had embraced my unstressed God: a Savior who loved me, despite my mistakes, sins and imperfections. My Jesus who told me I was His precious treasure, even if nobody else saw my worth, including myself.
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God not only showed Tracie the path to acceptance, self-confidence, and worth in Him, but He used her experiences as the training ground to build a story in her life which is now the basis of her new book, Stressed-Less Living: Finding God’s Peace In Your Chaotic World.
Today we’re giving away 3 signed copies to three of you! Leave a comment below this post and share with us something that is currently causing you stress. I’ll share too.
To find out more, be sure to visit Tracie’s Stressed-Less Living website: www.stressedlessliving.com . And if you purchase Stressed-Less Living between Sept 30-Oct 7th you’ll receive 7 FREE GIFTS.
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I have a wonderfully blessed life, and for the most part my husband and I have a very peaceful life. Not to say that blending a family or raising children was stress free, but with God we have over come. I feel in comparison at this point in my life I have nothing to be stressed about and my daily work or extended family member issues are minor – but I know staying in Gods word is the key to keeping the stress down and out of my life. So Yes I would love to win a copy of the book.
I am a 51 year old Type A personality, perfectionist, borderline OCD, woman who takes care of a husband, a 17 year old high school daughter, elderly parents 4 hours away (only child – dad in hospice care) and is the Education Administrator of 40-50 third and fourth year medical students on a daily basis. Even with anxiety medicine, my mind still races all the time, while multi-tasking in this fast-paced world in which we live. Also have a very hard time sitting still at home when there is always something that needs to be done! Perhaps this book could help me?
Would love to learn more. Proud that I am in the Word more now than ever. It does help to lower the stress. Thanks for this ministry!
Wow! I came on the site to leave a comment, in the hope of winning a copy of the book, thinking that my life was stressed right now. Reading these comments has put my stress into perspective!! I especially like the comment “My name is Stress!” Thank you Renee (and Tracie) for your inspiration and encouragement.
I deal with stress once I get home and face my husband and son and always thinking about our future. We are living under my husbands parents roof, been for 4 yrs now, I’m ready for a change. That alone, trying to raise my own family in someone elses home and raise my 4 yr old is so stressfull and difficult!!! Granted I am truly blessed by my In-laws for allowing us to stay until we are able to move out, but I’m learning each day to be patient and allow God to take control of our finances. I know he will lead us to a home that we can afford and enjoy as a family of 3. God’s REALLY laid his hands on my heart a lot this past week, and I’m learning each day to be Blessed, he will heal our stress for us.
Thank you fo this passage! Also I am reading your book, “A Confident Heart”, I love it, and It’s helping me seak God more and more each day.
It is a shame that we have so much stress in our lives. I am thankful for ladies like Renee, Lysa, and Tracie who write books to help us get back on track. 🙂
Count me in! Without getting into all details we are dealing with a very difficult home situation- which was escalated last week when my tween girl escaped out her bedroom window and ran 8 miles away from home. 6 hours of hell on earth as 30 police officers in 3 districts searched for her…we are still seeking help for her and dealing with daily stress. Thanks for the chance, and hugs to Rene and all the P31 staff and team!
The busy life of a mom of 2 teenagers, keeping schedules, making sure everyone is where they need to be at the correct time. I love being a mom, but it can definitely cause stress.
Stress? Like someone else said, I’ve lived with it so long it has become life. Nineteen years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and became a single mom (his biological father wanted nothing to do with us) and learned shortly afterward that my beautiful baby boy came with a little something extra (Down Syndrome). The two of grew and learned together for almost six years, then I married my husband. Let me tell you, single parenting a child with special needs isn’t nearly as stressful as becoming a stepmom and attempting to blend two families into one, but we managed and came through that. We added two more boys to our growing family (in 23 months) while having every other weekend and whenever DH’s ex didn’t want their daughter around (we had her). Around this same time my oldest starting waking throughout the night. Might not have been a big deal except he was getting into everything! (Developmentally he was probably at that 2-4 range when they are into everything even though he was 6-8 chronologically.) We spent the next 4-6 years sleeping with one eye/ear open to catch him before he got into anything. (He still doesn’t sleep through the night that great.) So, more stress plus sleep deprivation and we have one stressed out mama. I’d love to be have a little less stress in my life.
Needing to de-stress. Learning to take care of myself after being a caretaker for so long. Grieving my mom’s passing three weeks ago.
Junior high teacher and mother of one with one on the way=stress. I know that
Trusting God is the answer to handling stress but I can never seem to let go and trust Him completely. I am
Hoping that this book will help me in my walk with the Lord.
It’s been about three years of almost no income, and not knowing month to month what will happen. Trying to trust, but still suffering much anxiety and health issues.
Work is a stressor for me, but most of the stress I’m dealing with comes from myself. I downloaded the intro and chapter 1 for this book today and can’t wait to get a hard copy, probably in addition to a Kindle edition!
Stress? Yes — I am stressed, like so many people. I can’t seem to figure out how to balance and de-stress. I am a military wife with 2 small kids and living in another country. I can’t seem to figure out how to make things work… so the stress just piles on and I don’t sleep. This book would be sunshine for me right now — it would give me an outlet and help me figure out how to change the stress in my life into something positive.
thank you!
erin
Stress for me is this menopause phase of life & no energy
I really feel like I have more stress now then I have ever had in my life. I would love this book.
I think I am self-imposing my stress. 3 of my adult children are having marriage/relationship issues and although I keep trying to give it to God, I continue to try to “fix them” myself.
I also teach and the beginning of the year is always a stressful time. This year has brought many, many changes and although some of them are good, it’s causing anxiety and additional work.
I am currently 8 months pregnant with our first child and I get stressed trying to keep up with housework, meal planning, and meal making, in addition to trying to get the last-minute things done before Baby gets here and all productivity goes out the window. I’m a perfectionist, so I often stress myself out about things and have a hard time getting the right perspective on them. I’d love to win a copy of this book to help with my ways of dealing with stress. 🙂
This would be such a blessing right now , with all the current stress, along with returning to work, and taking online classes. I pray that God guides me along this path and that there is a rainbow at the end.
Currently my job is a huge stress to me. As a new college graduate, I had a completely different idea of what my job would look like. I am praying that God shows me the path that he wants me to take.