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.
Just click SHARE your THOUGHTS below this post and you’ll be entered to win.
{If you are reading this via email, PLEASE click here to ENTER}
Happy Fall Ya’ll!
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I am the kind of person that definitely needs these fantastic reminders. I have given God full control of my life, but sometimes I get a little off track. I love that I live in Charlotte, NC – where we have lots of fantastic churches, and ministries such as Proverbs 31. <3
I enjoy reading religious books.
God has brought me through the pain of abuse and trauma. This journey of recovery has led me to cling to Him in desperation realizing that He is the breath I need to maintain my focus on the goal where God is beckoning me forward. I enjoyed your devotional as I have let my children down in my woundedness and this is now a deep regret in my soul. I have had the opportunity to rebuild a relationship and am encouraged that God has provided me with His grace, mercy, and love allowing this healing. There are days that I struggle with guilt/shame over decisions I made in the past and the consequences I see lived out in my children. This is a deep ache and a general attacking point of Satan in his goal to shift my focus from God to myself. I lose momentum at this point, remaining stuck in the path…BUT GOD…He always provides a way out. I am continually reminded of His power and the need for me to remain plugged into my POWER SOURCE. I am eternally grateful for the intimacy with God which was forged through my journey of pain. Thank you so much for being such a wonderful tool of God. You have spoken to my heart many days through your devotionals and books.
Renee, Thank you for this timely reminder. It has helped me to see things differently. I don’t need to wallow in guilt and shame or get defensive. I can ask Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and go to the Word for nuggets of Truth to comfort, strengthen, and sustain me. While my best may not always measure up to others’ expectations, I rejoice in Jesus my Savior whose blood is sufficient to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. My beloved is mine and I am His.
I have really high standards for myself and I make it hard to” be good enough”……. thank you for your thoughts today, inspiring me to get a new perspective and allow God’s view of who I am shine through : ) I am a righteous woman of God. ..a daughter of the King!!!! Amen!
I dislike disappointing others and struggle with pleasing others and fear of rejection. I remember as a 10 year old girl, “my parents would not be divorcing if only I had been a better girl”! God’s promises are essential to reminding me who am I am! Thanks for your words of grace!
I work as a library assistant at an elementary school that has a large ELL population (almost 40%) as well as having a low-poverty population. I have to remember when the children don’t respond the way I need them to that it isn’t about me, it is the choice that they make. I am still good enough even when I feel a bit beat down.
It was like a slap in the face to me because I just let my husband down and keep feeling guilty. It just reminded me that God is in control and to not let the devil have control.
This summer has been a summer of “not good enough”s for our family. We have had one trial after another since June. I finally came to terms with everything that was happening in the last two weeks; realizing that GOD is in control and I need to “let go and let God”. I thought that I had failed my family for all the issues but then I realized that they (my children) were grown adults and I had to “let go and let God” in their lives. The grandchildren are precious to me and I have to remember that they are especially precious to God. He will protect them! I am “good enough” for God! Thanks for this blog. 🙂
Today’s devotion was an excellent reminder of God’s love and grace. I feel that I constantly let people down as I try to balance working full time and a very active family. Thank you for speaking truth to me today.
I used to worry so much about what everyone else thought I should do until my husband left! Never, not one time, did The Lord press on my heart the need for me to divorce! Could I, should I in everyone else’s eyes, YES! And thru this heart break, I learned to stop listening to what others thought was best for me and listen to my Father! He worked it all out in His time and by His grace, my husband and I have reconciled and are so much better on this side of our journey! Wow, what we would of missed if I had listened to everyone else! Thanks so much for your encouraging words.
What a wonderful way to take your thoughts captive! I’m struggling with depression in a way that hasn’t happened in over a decade. So much of winning against depression is taking your thoughts from the enemy & giving them to God. I will be writing these steps on my daily calendar to help change my thoughts & form new thought habits. Thank you for sharing!
I am up at 3 a.m. feeling broken and hurt. Much of what you have said hits home. In so many ways I don’t know who I am anymore. Hurt has a way of doing that to us.
I needed this today. I am always stuck on how I am not good enough. Now, I know I can totally change that way of thinking!
So encouraging-thanks for sharing! I always struggle with feeling like I’m not enough whenever I try (and fail) to do too many things, but I need to remember that JESUS is enough even though I’m not. God is the one who works in me to get the work done as He sees fit and that’s easy to forget.
Renee, I was meant to see this,especially considering that it is 2:42 a.m. as I type and I have ice on my neck, trying to decide if I go to work today. I am a paraprofessional in a new harder position this year in a public school and have made mistakes. I am 61 and feel my memory is worse than usual lately and I have been feeling exactly what you say – not good enough. It is scary to admit and I am leaning heavily on God and thankful that HE gives me patience and even joy in difficult situations. Thank you so much for this timely devotion and the reminder to search scripture – you have picked some good ones.
Praying for you Patti!!
I woke up and could not sleep and searched for a devotional and found the one you wrote. Icould not sleep because I felt guilty about not being able to live up to al I felt I should be. The words you shared was exactly what I needed.
Thank you for your message here. Like many others who have shared already, I can relate this one. I love the application of making the lists. What a great prayer and processing step! Take the time and remember to ask the Holy Spirit to bring clarity of truth from logistical, circumstantial and spiritual points of view.
I am a fairly new Christian and sometimes still hear the enemy’s voice telling me I am not good enough for anything. Being in recovery for 27years has helped me ignore it but it still whispers and can be difficult to shake. Your books and posts make sure I remember how loved and cherished I am by God. Thank you.
I just read the devotional and it hit me like a rock. This was almost to the letter of what has been going on and around me in the last several weeks. Thank you so much really need to be reminded that I don’t have to try and handle everything, God can handle it for me.