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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

There is No One Like You!

Do you remember being in middle school? Those were the awkward years. I remember not really liking who I was or how I looked. I have a feeling a lot of us didn’t like ourselves at that age, but we all desperately wanted others to like us, right?

At that point, I think a lot of us secretly compared ourselves to those around us, observed who was liked most, and tried to be like the popular people.

In my Proverbs 31 devotion, “Becoming the Real Me,” I talk about having that same unhealthy habit in my adult life, too. And I know I’m not alone. For many women, it wasn’t just a phase when we were teenagers; it’s still a struggle now. Sometimes it’s because we don’t have the confidence to find out who we really are. Many of us are just more comfortable buried in busyness and hiding behind our self-doubts.

Lots of times it’s because we’re believe we don’t have anything special to offer anyway, so we just keep being who others want, need or expect us to be.

Well my friend, it’s time to do something about it. How? First we have to stop comparing ourselves to other women. Why would we compare how we feel inadequate on the inside with how someone else looks like they had it all together on the outside? We’ll always end up feeling less than.

Not only is comparison toxic for us personally, it’s also destructive relationally. Comparison makes us measure our worth against other women, and we end up competing with each other.

But God created us to complete one another, not compete with each other.

In my book, A Confident Heart, I share how we can do that by encouraging each others’ strengths, overlooking each others’ weaknesses and celebrating each other’ uniqueness.

The truth is, life is hard and we need each other! “But now God has placed the parts, each one of them in the body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-20

God gives all of us unique personalities, abilities, passions and experiences because we each play a leading role in the story He’s writing with our lives.

So, today when you are tempted to compare yourself to another woman and doubt starts whispering that you’re not as smart as she is, or gifted or pretty or godly…remember you are “God’s masterpiece…created anew in Christ so that [you] can do the good things He planned for [you] long ago.” Ephesians 2:10, (NLT)

In my upcoming book, A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God’s Promises, I have a whole chapter on this topic and other self-doubts that keep us from becoming the women God created us to be!

I’m giving away three copies today, but first I’d love for you to watch this 2-minute introduction video.

I’m praying for each of you today as you begin to discover and embrace the woman God created you to be! Remember, there is no one like you…and the world is missing someone special until you become her!

If you’d like to read A Confident Heart when it releases, and share it with friends, enter to win 3 copies (1 for yourself and 2 for friends) below:

  • To enter one time, click on the word “comments” below to share thoughts about today’s topic. (If you don’t have a blog it’s okay, click anonymous and type in the white box. But be sure to leave your first name to be part of a drawing).
  • To enter two times, leave a comment with your thoughts and leave another letting me know you’re sharing this post via Facebook and/or twitter with a link back to my twitter page @reneeswope or back to my Facebook page @A Confident Heart by Renee Swope FB page.(https://www.facebook.com/renee.swope?ref=name#!/pages/A-Confident-Heart-by-Renee-Swope/160376334023273)

A Confident Heart releases August 1st, but you can pre-order yours at P31 today and be the first to receive a signed copy in early August! (P31 is getting early copies in mid July.)


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Comments

  1. I really can appreciate your comments on the blog and the video. I am in my mid 60's and I still feel as though I really don't know who or what God designed me to be. I have read Florence Littauers books and I come closest to Phlegmatic & Perfection with a lot of Control mixed in, with just tad of sanguine! As you see, I perceive myself as a highly mixed bag! And I also have always tried to be what others wanted me to be, they were confident I could be their design. Yet more often than not I really wasn't comfortable in those spots either, so I keep praying Lord please make it really, really clear, black and white, no doubts involved, clear to me who I am according to your design, not mine, not my spouses, not my friends, and not my children. My siblings and parents for the most part no longer have that much affect on me as they are up in heaven, well I hope they are at least! I feel like they should have been they all loved the Lord and knew His forgiveness. Oh my, would love to read your book, I am like a sponge when it comes to Gods word and always appreciate well written, helpful books to grow in Gods garden of words! May God Bless you Renee!!!!
    Kay

  2. Thank you for sharing today. I know God chose to speak to my heart through this. I struggle a lot with doubting and knowing my value in the Lord, but He knows me so intimately and cares for me. Thanks!

  3. If I hadn't known better I'd have thought you were describing me to someone. I have ALWAYS been a people pleaser and done things everyone else wanted. It's almost like I have never been my own person. Sometimes I feel like I can't even make the smallest decision like what I want to eat. I want to know where God wants me and what he wants me to do with all that is in me. Yet I stay trapped in that bubble of doing what everyone else wants. I need to break the cycle!! Thank you for what you said today. I never realized that was the reason. I just thought something was wrong with me and I would not ever know. What insight!!!

  5. Also I do plan to share this blog on my Facebook with a link back to this blog, no twitter, facebook is enough social networking for me!!!

    Kay

  6. This devo hits me sqware in the center of my fears today. The shadow of Suicide Loss , growing older, empty nest, menapause, remarriage, financial troubles, diabetes etc has cast a very dark painful shadow upon me these last 8 years. I am turning back to His Light…His TRuth. The LIES are just too dark & hopeless.
    Isaiah 61:1-3..Beauty from these dark ashes..I can not allow fear & pain to define who I am in the flesh of sorrow yet in Christ I know I can get off my mat & WALK again. PTL!
    Thank you Renae..for reminding me today that He Loves me anyway.

  7. Self-doubt and lack of confidence is something that women frequently encounter these days. I'm anxious to learn more on the topic as you explore it in your book.

  8. Striving to believe in myself is one thing, but trying to understand God's purpose for my life is something I struggle with. If I win these books, I will share them with two women with whom I share a music ministry at church. We are good friends, and this study would be wonderful for us to do together. Thanks!

  9. I need to learn this myself. At 37 years old I still am trying to believe that I am loved and valued. I have a 3 year old daughter and I want her to learn this truth long before she is 37.

    I am planning to do this book with Melissa's Online study, I cannot wait!

  10. What an important subject especially in today's world. I love that saying that our Lord has made us to complete each other not compete with each other! You see it all too often, and we are wearing ourselves out trying to be something we are NOT! I would love to get a copy for myself and 2 for my friends — What a blessing it would be! I also posted this to my facebook, really good message for all my fb friends!

  11. I'm still trying to believe that I am valued and loved – at 37 years old! I want my 3 year old daughter to know that in her heart long before she is 37, so I need to believe and live it!

  12. It's interesting to me how many of us constantly do what others "expect" of us, but not what GOD expects of us. Exactly what I needed to read today. Thanks!
    Erin

  13. I am so anxious for your book to come out! I'm leading an online Bible study in my church and want A Confident Heart to be one of the books we study.

  14. Thank you for sharing this today! Phew- I can not even begin to tell you how much a needed this! My husband and I were talking this week and he asked me- what do I want to do with my life? we were discussing us maybe going back to get our Masters degrees and he kept asking well what would you want to do. Where is my passion? Where do I feel God leading!? I got upset with questions wondering why is he harrasing me! Up until now I always had a check list- graduate HS- check; graduate college- check; get married- check; okkk now what! everytime someone asks what my goal in life is I always try to come up with an answer based on the person who asked so I sound good or they approve. Your devotion helped me figure out I need to sit down with just me and God and figure this out! Who am I?

  15. I am very confident in all that I do or try. I do not compare myself to any one. I also do not dream because dreams do not come true. They just get shattered. All you get left with is reality and a broken heart.

  16. I am a mess. In the middle of so much with my health, our family, military, and ill children.

  17. Oh my, did I need this today!! Although I've always been the exact opposite in that I have TOO MANY passions, talents, and desires… My struggle lies in knowing just what God wants me to do with them. I've never wanted to be like anyone else either; I've always rebelled against the status quo. This leads to a pretty lonely life though… I'm 34, never married, with no kids. Like I said, pretty lonely. People like others to be in pretty packages, without giving any regard to the true person who lies within. I pray that my Father in heaven will bring people into my life who can see past my outer "package" to my God given "inner being". God bless you for this devotional today! Love in Christ, Julie Mae

  18. I loved this devotion today and it instantly caught my intention. I especially enjoyed the part where you encouraged us to get to know ourselves and ask GOD what his dreams for our life our and that its okay to enjoy the process! It has been a beauitful journey;God has brought me so far, though I still have a ways to go. I can honestly say that I like who I am, and I look forward in excitement to what God has planned for me;I can actually see beauty in me, when before I was filled with self-hatred and low self worth, my prayer is that this knowledge will continue to resonate with me and sink down to my heart where I need it the most.

  20. I agree with Ravynword's comment it sounds just like what I had to say, resonantes is a great way to describe the struggle I have had since childhood with self doubt. I have done the Breaking free study but I am still captive. I can't wait to hear what God has told you to tell me.