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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I need help with the fact that some days, my best isn’t good enough. Most days it is, but there are days when my strength is low, my attitude is not so great, and the enemy is just waiting to pounce. There is outsourcing being done at my job, so I may not even have one in the next few months…that is a large factor in my sadness & disappointment. But, I just keep coming to work, doing whatever I can find to do, hoping they see my dedication and decide it is good enough!
I am participating in The Best Yes study, and a LOT of things are jumping out at me!
Thanks!
For some reason I have always felt the need to “please”. I never could get the amount of love and approval I needed. Great grades didn’t do it, so I tried as hard as I could to fail, that didn’t matter either, husbands didn’t give me that approval (I’m on number 4). Jobs didn’t do it, kids, friends, nothing. Your devotion this morning put the light on. I AM good enough for God, He dies love me. Enough. Thank you.
God is GREAT and the way He pursues us is SO amazing. This past year has been CrAzY for me personally (as well as for my family) and I spent a lot of time questioning me, myself, and so on, you know allowing the enemy to grab hold. My husband was a recovering addict of 10 plus years, notice I said was, he returned to his addiction and that left my 2 adult children, three younger children, and myself ALONE with just me to rely on or so I thought. God is truly amazing and I have realized I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength that starts with loving myself and knowing that I am valuable. My husband has gone through rehab and has 70 days clean and sober and we both are working on ourselves as individuals and together as a couple, Praise God
I struggle with that too! I also have learned enough to recognize the enemy’s quiet whisper of failure. I am still learning the process of emptying my mind of his lies and filling it with Gods truth!
I work in the women’s ministry in my church and many times we all share the same thoughts about ourselves. We think that we’re not good enough because of the high standards that we set for ourselves. And when we can’t meet those standards we think we failed everyone around us. God sees our efforts and knows the intentions of our heart. When we feel that we’re not good enough for ourselves, God steps in and reassures us that we are good enough for Him.
Lately I’ve been quite overloaded at work, with continuous requests and never-ending deadlines. I noticed though that if before I start my workday with a prayer, asking God to help me handle things I need to do that day, the day goes by much calmer (in my personal emotional and physical attitude and feeling) and I turn out to be way more productive than on the days when i try to handle everything on my own. While this is very helpful, to invite God in our days, I think it would be super important for me to learn how to say the best yes to things I should be a part of and find a friendly gentle way out of those I don’t really need to be involved in and learning to say no or delegate.
I have been experiencing some pretty big life changes this year which leaves me open to satan’s second guessing tatics. This devotion really helps to remind me who is really in charge of my life and Biblical foundations to repeat when I am feeling weak and to renew my strength. Thank you!
I loved today’s devotional because it reminds me of myself & how I do tend to beat myself up when I fail at something or just when someone questions something I have done. I do not have a lot of self esteem so when this happens it is a big deal to me. All I want to do when that happens is crawl up somewhere & hide because I feel so stupid. But today I was reminded that in God’s eyes my best is good enough & that I am good enough. I need to turn to him & ask for his help to remind me of this more often. Thank You so much Renee I needed this more then you will ever know.
After unexpectedly loosing my father this past summer, and traveling to a new school 1,000 miles from home there are defiantly times of joy and discouragement. Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, but the word of God stands firm and we need to remind ourselves of the TRUTH.
Thank you for sharing your hearts and inspiring me to be BRAVE.
I’m always glad that “I am who God says I am” and not what other people or I myself think of me. Supported by Scripture that I’ve memorized I’m able to overcome. Praise you, Jesus!
Great reminder to have scripture at the ready for when Satan tempts me.
I love the encouraging message of this devotion. We know that God puts it out there for us, but we have to grab it. He will help us grasp it. In other words, HIS message is clear……we just have to take it in. His love for us is so deep and so wide!!
There have been so many times in my life as a CHRISTIAN…. where I can look back and see that satan was whispering in my ear……”you aren’t good enough”, “you’ll never be good enough”, or “you are worthless”. I believed those lies before I was saved, and even after I couldn’t hear the truth for the lies that were still being spewed, but at a more fervent speed. I was always comparing myself to others, and of course I never won. They were always prettier, skinnier, smarter, and better at everything. If you had asked me though……I would have been horrified to conceive that someone would think I (a Christian) would even consider entertaining the lies of Satan. We always have good excuses to justify our bad habits. We are so easily deceived….just ask Eve…now she’s the one with a story to tell. God’s message is plain and simple. HE loves us with a never-ending love. He wants us to know it, to understand it, and live it. He wants us to believe it. HE wants us to believe HIM. He accepts us just as we are, and loves us….even in our sin. Ephesians 3: 17-19 says “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” GOD wants us to GRASP the idea that his LOVE is so wide, and so long, and so deep……. Believe it!! HE LOVES us…all of us just like HE says HE does.
Satan is a liar. “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 That is our clear warning to remember that satan wants to bring us down, to take our focus off of the Father, and clutter and confuse our minds. He wants to destroy us, our families, and anyone who might see JESUS in us. I love your words Renee Swope, “Lord, help me to remember that giving my best is enough in YOUR eyes, even when my best isn’t good enough for others. I will post them to my bathroom mirror, to remind myself that in HIS eyes I am good enough. Maybe if I can remember I am good enough I can encourage others to know that they too are good enough.
I have come into a new season in my life. Clearing my mind and spirit being of weeds that the devil has planted. Just like Autumn when the dead leaves fall getting ready for a new season of Spring. My mind, spirit and faith will renew with a meadow of beautiful flowers. The devil reminds me daily of my past experiences where he took full credit but NO MORE! I stand steadfast in the Lord always thankful that my past was forgiven on the cross. God gives me the strength to stop what the devil is trying to take back. In the name of Jesus, I declare, I will fight pulling those weeds and getting ready for my meadow.
I have struggled with this many times in my life. If I make a mistake, it is not just that that I have made a mistake. I feel as if I am just worthless as a person. My head knows this is not true, but my heart doesn’t. I would never impart this degree of perfection on anyone else, but it seems that I expect it from myself. Your article was very insightful. I don’t want to let the enemy win and keep me from being a productive Christian. Thank you.
Hi Renee! Your devotional today really struck a chord in my heart. When I feel I’ve let someone down or made mistakes I usually beat myself up over it all. Thank you for the reminder that God neve lets me down and loves me in spite of my faults. I’m working on not over committing myself and doing my best at what God has asked me to so.
God gave me a vision to plan on outdoor extravaganza at my church this year. Through plenty of planning and a very limited budget, our Youth committee brought the vision to life and it came to past. When analyzing the expenses some people looked at the event as a failure because we didn’t raise enough money; not even to break even. I knew I put my best forward but couldn’t help but feel impacted by the negative comments. God brought me the revelation that success wasn’t in the amount of dollars collected at the end of the day but the souls that were touched through our event! Glory be to God.
I have just recently begun homeschooling. Now that the adrenaline-packed start to our year is over, the pressure (I am putting on myself) to keep things fun and engaging while challenging and structured has been wearing on me. God used this devotion today to encourage me to cling to him and remember that just like anything else in life, I can’t do it without him!
I needed to hear this today. I am very overwhelmed with everything that’s going on in my life. Wife,mother,homemaker, friend, sister. The list goes on. Satan dies his best to keep me overwhelmed and alone. Thank you for these wonderful words of encouragement.
This devotion really helped challenge me on how I immediately internalize any wrongdoing. I expect perfection and more frequently fall short due to exhaustation and balancing too many tasks. I loved the practice of taking time to reflect on the logistical, circumstantial, and spiritual aspects and then creating a plan for redressing and moving on. I really need to implement this focus and continue relying on powerful scripture to encourage me through those thoughts. Thanks Renee!
Giving my best is what I’ve always thought I was good at. I have experienced that sometimes my best isn’t enough. Years of graduate school, and now working in the evaluation field, I’ve realized that my best has to be enough. People will try to discourage your work and put doubt in your mind. I know that I’m fully capable and do quality work, but it sometimes is disappointing when I realize it’s not up to par. Reading today’s devotional helps me to realize that I need to take other things into consideration when I determine my BEST!
I pray that the LORD helps me to realize that we are HIS and not our own. Help me to realize that it’s OK to show that our best isn’t always at the top of our game.
Sarah