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…
ENTER to WIN a Fall Book-Bundle
I’m giving away 3 Fall Book-Bundles
including my Confident Heart Devotional and Lysa TerKeurst’ new best-selling
book, The Best Yes! I’m giving away 3 bundles that include a copy of each book
plus a fall-scented candle from Bath & Body Works!
How to ENTER: She your thoughts about today’s devotion OR how you’ve walked through needing to remember your best is in good enough in God’s eyes even when it’s not good enough in the eyes of others.
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It’s too often that I feel this way. No matter how hard I try not to focus on the issue on hand I end up feeling guilty. I spend way too much time in doing this. Thank you for the advice on how to handle our guilt
Awesome message, I am a perfectionist who always tries to do everything right, make the right choices, and meet others’ expectations. How lucky are we as Christians to know our very best is all He needs.
Thank you for helping us see more clearly that each experience we feel inadequate or unsuccessful in requires proper perspective. I, like many, tend to be far too hard on myself but thankfully have learned over time (with age!) that these perspectives are crucial to not allowing the devil his foothold in our lives. Praise God that he still loves us when we have little to give on those days!
I love the three ways to look at it: logistically, circumstantially, and spiritually. It really helps to put it all in perspective- HIS perspective! Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway opportunity.
I often struggle (unrealistically) to do better than my best. I find a lot of days I feel that my best is nowhere near good enough. Praise God that He will always accept my best, even when I feel it’s not enough.
Right now I am struggling with my responsibilites as a wife, mother and nurse. Going back to school and working full time, plus I am trying to push myself out of bed earlier to work out in the mornings before work. I depend on my wonderful husband and my Lord and Saviour to help me through this. I am constantly praying for energy and endurance.
It always amazes me how faithful our God is! He always provides the words we need to hear right as we need them!
Doubting myself is something I struggle with in regards to work. It is so easy, when I make a mistake, to really beat myself up over it, and wonder why I can’t be perfect like some of the others I work with (even though I know they aren’t perfect, but that doesn’t help sometimes!). Been trying to remember to pray, and look at the big picture, and remember that one small mistake at work, doesn’t really make me a bad worker, and for sure doesn’t make me a bad wife, mom, or Christian! I just have to keep remembering that. 🙂
A wonderful devotional that really spoke to me and I’m sure many others. Satan makes me feel like a failure when I disappointment someone because of a schedule that becomes way too full when so many unplanned events like you mentioned arise. I love the practical advice you shared to counter satan’s attack.
Thank you so much for writing this devotional & for your transparency!!! I have been struggling with this for most of my whole life & was in the thick of negative thoughts regarding a situation at work again today. Thank you also for the practical advice of how to combat those thoughts. I have felt in a rut & also felt so alone in my struggle & never knew what to do. This is an answer to prayer!
We are way too hard on ourselves most of the time. Thank you for reminding me that my best is what God wants from me and that the devil wants us to be negative and unhappy so we can yield to him instead of God.
The Lord speaks to my exact problems every single day through the Agape Cafe devotional, and through 3 more, forwarded to me by friends. One is “Jesus Calling” , one is called the Agape Cafe, another from Iyanla Vazants daily “Todays Prayer” and the last is David Jeremiah’s daily devotional. I pray as soon as I get up in the morning, then read the devotionals, then the Bible. Sort of a routine for the day. Then I feel that I can go out and deal with people in the way the Lord would have me represent Him and be a light shining when others need help. I also pray to help, and never harm.
Two years ago I was awarded an early retirement that started my pension before I was old enough to collect or had put in enough years working at my current employer to collect my regular pension.
I had a nervous breakdown. A drug and alcohol abusing teenager, spinal cord problems and a very well paying though extremely toxic job. I prayed before then, mostly the “God help” prayer, went to church and read the Bible “when I had time.”
After all of the paperwork had completed, I realized what a blessing the nervous breakdowns were…God letting me know who was in control. And that I needed to stop relying on my own resources and plans, and follow His
plan, and to slow down and spend more time with Him.
Although I have very little income, I do have medical coverage and am free to spend my time being with Him and learning to depend on him. What a huge miracle. God truly uses all things to serve Him. And though they appear embarrassing and frustrating and sometimes scary, all things truly work for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
My prayers now include thanking Him for that experience and every single thing, good and bad that followed it. God blessed me with a burning desire to serve Him. And I pray only that I am healed enough to volunteer and give back what he has given me. I also pray a prayer that my pastor shared with the congregation a couple of weeks ago. “Lord, please help me to learn what I am supposed to learn, and change what I need to change, so that I never have to go through this pain (circumstace) again. The devotionals are vital to my life here on Earth. Thank you for writing devotionals. I discovered the root of my fear and anxiety just a few weeks ago, during meditation. I was taught at some point that “I am not enough” and have internalized it and believe it and consequently overcompensate by expending emotional and spiritual resources that have been “running on empty for years.
As a teacher sometimes it is hard to meet eveyone’s expectations. I need to inspire my students, deal with parents and complete tasks for the principal. I often feel that I am not enough. I remind myself that God will give me the strength to do what he wants me to and let some of the rest go.
God is always helping me with this & I’m always in progress. I would love to win a “book bundle” to brighten up my least favorite season.
“Although I had done the best I could, my best wasn’t good enough. But it didn’t mean I wasn’t good enough. It just meant I needed to make some truth-filled assessments and wisdom-based adjustments!” <— So powerful! Thank you!
So weird there is a “Dawn M” above with my same problem! (My middle name is Marie) I swear this is not a duplicate entry, lol. I too have been having issues with my adult daughter. I left an emotionally abusive marriage with her father but unfortunately I find her repeating the very criticisms her father has always accused me of (not working hard enough, never being “enough” in so many areas…looks, work, making dinner, etc.) I have tried so hard to separate myself from those criticisms that were ingrained in me, but as I battle a very serious chronic illness, she is throwing those judgements back at me…I would be fine if I just try harder, I could work outside the home if I really wanted to, I am just lazy at heart, etc. I am getting better at realizing these issues are not a reflection of me but more of a distraction for her from her own issues and inner turmoil. But it still hurts so deeply as I sit in my hospital bed writing this, battling serious, life I threatening issues (crisis level blood pressure and heart rate swings, DVT blood clot, etc.), it breaks my heart that she is too busy judging me and trying to deny the severity of my health problems that she won’t ever visit me or help me in any way. I am anxious to read this book (and the others in the bundle) to help me a see myself through God’s eyes instead and shield myself from the hurt and trauma that comes back when I hear these criticisms. This devotion came at the perfect time as all of this came to a head today. I know it was no accident. Thank you for the encouragement and for the giveaway!
I think as a mom, I am constantly doubting myself. Especially with the age of the internet and all those “super mom” blogs out there. I am having a hard time with my daughter right now, and it makes me feel like a failure as a mom. Like I let her down and God down. He gave me her to raise and I feel I am not doing great at it. But then I remember and pray through the confusion. Thanks for that reminder. I have to remember how much the devil loves to see us breakdown. He fuels our emotions with a great joy. I just remember, I am not alone!!
It’s good a good reminder that we are all human and therefore we make mistakes. You just need to remember to lean on God for support and to learn from your mistakes.
I am so excited that I can read testomy’s on God wonderful story that we live daily.
I looking forward for encourgement thru his word and people around us.
I am so grateful for his grace and mercy everywhere I go as he open our spiritual eyes.
God is Good!!
I gave my Confident Heart book away 2 a young college student dealing with a break up by my nephew 6 months ago. I shared what u had been through Renee & she is realizing now that GOD has oher plans 4 her life. Thank you for sharing!