Have you ever gotten that awful pit-in-your-stomach feeling after finding out you let someone down?
It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as I read through an email from a client, sent to my manager and forwarded to me, describing how I had let some details fall through the cracks on a project.
A horrible sense of discouragement and embarrassment moved in for the kill.
In the past, I would have welcomed my uninvited critical thoughts to stay a while, resigned to the fact that I must be unable to do anything right!
But not this time; too many hurtful experiences had taught me to recognize failure as an opportune time for my opponent, the devil, to devour me with feelings of inadequacy and shame. This enemy is bent on making me believe that when my best isn’t good enough, I’m not good enough.
Fortunately, times of pain have also included hours of poring over God’s promises, gathering wisdom to deal with this unwelcome intruder. I have learned to be alert to the devil’s schemes and ready to stand against them. In 1 Peter 5:8-9, Peter tells us how:
“Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour. Be firm in the faith and resist him, knowing that other believers throughout the world are going through the same kind of suffering” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
After reading the email and letting my thoughts run wild for a few minutes, I knew I had to clear my mind. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me un-clutter my thoughts with the clarity of truth from logistical, circumstantial and spiritual points of view….
Read the rest of this story and what happened in my Encouragement for Today on the Proverbs 31 Ministries blog. But BEFORE YOU go…
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Thank you so much for this devotional. It was just what I needed to hear today. I have been in training for a new job for three weeks & there is so much new information that I feel like I can’t remember it all & that I will never be good enough at it. I have a lot of anxiety & fears & do alot of self-doubting. I do know God’s word & read a devotional daily but alot of times let my own anxieties & fears creep in on my thoughts instead of being confident in myself & confident in God’s word and his promises. I really feel this devotional would help me. Thank you for today’s devotional as it spoke to my heart. Thank you for the chance to win this!
It is so true that we want to be perfect and in being perfect we should never disappoint anyone. Unfortunately we have to remember that God never meant for us to be perfect. He just wants us to strive to do His will and respond as He leads us. The trials of live often get in the way of our striving for perfection but it is so great to know a loving, forgiving God who always helps in times of need.
How timely!!! I was just dealing with feelings of self-doubt based on work performance two days ago. Satan always uses such issues to instill worry in me, to the point of losing sleep. But God’s grace reminds me that my performance does not determine my significance, and my shortcomings present an opportunity to learn.
Thank you for the encouragement your devotional brought to me! Exhaustion from trying to please others no matter how hard I try to “do it all right” is one of my struggles. You’re correct about the shame and discouragement I feel as I beat myself up only to try that much harder next time. I especially connected with these words you wrote: “In the past, I would have welcomed my uninvited critical thoughts to stay a while, resigned to the fact that I must be unable to do anything right! But not this time; too many hurtful experiences had taught me to recognize failure as an opportune time for my opponent, the devil, to devour me with feelings of inadequacy and shame. This enemy is bent on making me believe that when my best isn’t good enough, I’m not good enough.” Thank you for the reminder to defeat the wrong thoughts, and that the enemy is seeking to devour us!
Like so many others this is a daily battle because I fight against perfectionism. It is easy to take things personal and allow Satan a foothold in this area. It is so humbling to know that God still loves me and doesn’t expect me to be perfect. Thank you Jesus that I am always “good enough” in your eyes.
Praise the LORD for your devotional! Loved it! Thanks and God Bless You!
Thank you for this devotion. Great idea on how to calm our minds during times of self doubt, anxiety, or inadequacy.
Thank you so much for this devotional. I have been having a lot of condemnation and anxiety lately. I think the enemy is just really beating me up. I’m on a medical leave from work, and may have to have a hysterectomy and am feeling so guilty. I feel like I’m letting them down. I need to just rest in the Lord.
Thank you for these words of encouragement and I would love to win these devotionals. God Bless!
As it so often turns out we are not enough, but our God always is! Thank you for the reminder that we are entirely, madly loved by Him!
WOW!!! Opening my e-mail box and reading today’s message is what I need!!!! Yesterday I was put on a spot at a PTO meeting for my son’s school they put me on the board team did not know this until last night’s meeting also I had to get in front of students, parents, administrators, teachers, and the Principle. I got nervous speaking in front of everybody, I mess up very badly. Came home very sad I wanted to give my best but felt i messed up. Thank You so much for today message it help me out a whole alot. Keep Sending this messages. they me alot.
it’s often hard to separate what I do from who I am. thanks for the reminder.
Our Lord is an awesome God! Where I am weak He is strong and successful. As I grow older, I have come
to the realization that when I fail, fall or feel useless it truly is an opportunity for me to seek for His presence. He is always willing to show us the way, comfort and heal us so that we may continue to walk with Him. We must take time to read His Word and take hold of all of His promises found within the Word. My flesh might cause me to weakened but with the help of the Holy Spirit and truly knowing our Father, I am strong. God Bless.
Thank you for sharing. So good. Spoke directly to my heart. This has been a particularly hard week and I have felt I like I have been carting this burden around for far to long. Thank you again.
I needed to hear this today. Shame is a daily battle I often forfeit. Thank you for this truth!
Oh my! I knew as soon as I opened my P31 devotional email that this was going to hit home…the verse was one that our Pastor preached on just a few days ago! And, boy, was I right! I am so hard on myself, and take everything so personally & critically. I have really been struggling with feelings of discouragement, hurt, anger, and even a hardened heart, because I feel so often like I don’t “measure up” in the eyes of my husband. I am struggling to change this way of thinking, because I fear for the state of our marriage if I don’t, but it is oh-so-hard. I need to start posting scripture verses wherever I will see them, to remind myself of my value in my Father’s eyes, and to stop letting the devil take over so much of my thinking! Thank you for this!
I am also prone to beat myself up and talk to myself in ways that I would never allow anyone to talk to someone I love. What a great reminder that those hurtful and mean words are lies from the father of lies himself! After I read your blog post, I wrote down Psalm 73:26 “My flesh & my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and portion.” How amazing that our God loves us so much that He will fill the gaps and forgive our mistakes. Praise Jesus for His sacrificial love and overwhelming grace!
Liked your post.
There are many days I feel like a failure and will allow the Enemy to convince me I’ll never be good enough… one thing, however small, can take me to that place of not measuring up. Then I’m gently reminded of the Truth and that one bad moment doesn’t make me a bad mom and that trying my best is good enough. As long as I seek God for strength and wisdom and try my best, then that’s okay.
Good Morning! What a beautiful way to start my morning, your kind words shining brightly to my heart and mind! This comes to me at a great time, Satan lurking in my weaknesses, trying to bring me down! :Stop., get behind me Satan.” Thank you for letting your love of God come through our email boxes and this blog! (the bundle pack would be nifty!)
Hello Everyone,
God’s timing couldn’t have been more Perfect! Three weeks ago my husband and I had a HUGE blowout. We do not have an easy marriage but things had been running there course and “all was quiet on the western front” . The argument led to sleeping alone and feelings of “what have I done?” FAILURE had made its way into my heart. Being a woman who already is plagued with low self esteem I recognized “it” all to well. Failure as a wife, mother, and woman of GOD. I have known the LORD for 21 years and in a single moment I felt like everything I had done was gone. The last three weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster for me filled with self doubt and remorse.
Today, as I read the devotional ( which I do not do everyday mind you 🙂 ) I realized what I had done. I had allowed the enemy to rob me and have a field day with me for three whole weeks. UGH!!! ” And I have know my LORD, How long???
I did the process that Renee had suggested. Admitting the truth to yourself about yourself is not the easiest thing to do, especially when it agrees with our spouses 🙂 I realized that I had to come to terms with how easily angered i get, that I can be complacent, and well here goes, I have disrespected my husband. Ouch! YUP! i did those things over the years and it finally came to a head.
I did have a conversation with my dear Pastor, because this situation was eating me up inside. The light he shed aligned with what Renee expressed in today’s devotional. He stated that when “we” are attacked verbally and horrible things are spoken in anger the reason they still sting is because there is still “some” truth in those words. This was the hurt and failure I was feeling. The part that I had forgotten, was that “we” are “new” creations in Christ Jesus and that we are no longer those things but made new and I am a work in progress. Renee’s process of noting the logistical, circumstantial, and spiritual truths was the piece of the puzzle I needed to put this downward slope behind me.
Thank you for your ministry……I am going to go humble myself before my LORD now, and basque in HIS amazing love and grace for me and remember who I really am…..HIS.