What if this week, every time we look in the mirror and think … “Uggh, I need to ______ {lose weight, do something about these wrinkles, get rid of those dark circles under my eyes, etc.} you say this out loud:
“He calls me Beautiful.”
Because it’s true. He does!
What if we surrounded our hearts with truth seekers and truth-speakers, who told us these truths again and again? Friends who point us back to the One who calls us Beloved, Known and Valuable.
This week I’m honored to be joining a community of women that do just that, everyday. Speaking courage, truth and Hope into the hearts of women around the world through their words, blog posts, community groups and more. Oh how I’d love for you to join (me) there as I join the contributing writers team of:
Perhaps (in)courage is a place you already know? Or maybe it’s a community waiting for you? I’ll be sharing more in the weeks to come. But I hope you’ll hop on over this week, and find out more about (in)courage, see me with bed-head (in my favorite place on earth), and meet the other new writers here. BUT BEFORE YOU GO be sure to ENTER TO WIN (Sorry, the giveaway is over, but would still love to hear from you)!
To celebrate the (in)courage-ment, and the fact that this week will be different because we’re going to tell ourselves the truth every time we look in the mirror… I’m giving away Love Idol: Letting Go of Your Need for Approval and Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes, by my friend Jennifer Dukes Lee. Jennifer is also a newbie (in)courage writer along with several others and me who joined the (in)courage team today!
Jennifer wrote “Love Idol” for women like us—who’ve had “enough of the not-enoughs.” This book is her journey toward freedom from the approval-seeking-cycle where she invites us to a place where we can lay down every mirror, every tally sheet, every report card — everything that tells us we aren’t (____) enough.
ENTER TO WIN by leaving a comment sharing one area of your life where you would love to see yourself as God sees you: loved and pre approved. (Sorry, the giveaway is over, but would still love to hear from you)
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Blessings, Renee! So blessed to enter the give-away of Jennifer’s book! I want to know that in my mid-50’s I’m not a spent force and that I still have my most fruitful seasons ahead in my art and writing for His glory! Thanks so much for your encouraging posts on FB – always blessed!
Joy!
Kathy
I struggle with approval – my appearance and what I do with my life, now that I’m in “semi-retirement”. I am a child of the king – lovely, desired, and “pre-approved”. I don’t need to prove anything – oh to believe this, and live it.
Redeemed how God saw me before I was born, redeemed as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend! I struggled with acceptance of who I am and need to be. I often tell my self I have no regrets but my gut says otherwise. I struggle with the thought of being pre-approved.
Wow! What timing! I am really in a struggling season of feeling like I’m on hold. God has been pruning like crazy and causing me to analyze my motivation for fear, worry and judgment in my life and the life of my family. Almost every decision or stress comes with me having to ask, is this something that matters, or am I worried what others think? Is this something God wants me to do, or am I trying to impress others (ouch, that one hurts!). I pray that God help me see me and my life through His eyes and not what the world says it ought to be like. Help me to accept the simple life He is leading me to and find contentment in it. That not everyone’s platform is a stage, a book or an established ministry. He keeps leading me to the word “simple.” And keeps engraving 1 Samuel 16:7 on my heart. “God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesus help me have a willing heart!
I love this!
I know that I am beautifully and wonderfully made. A perfect piece of art, that may seem imperfect in this world.
God made me for His purpose. His perfect design.
I pray more people understand that. But through free will, we have not honored God’s property, God’s instrument for His Kingdom. This is where we fall short and need to do a “180” or for a better biblical term, “repent”.
I don’t want the book. If I win this book, I will pay it forward and give it away. Not because I’m proud and perfect (which I am far from), but because I know to whom I belong and where my focus should be. And, I need to remind myself about that A LOT. 🙂
I am so (in)couraged to be reminded that I am pre-approved. I look in the mirror everyday looking at myself thinking of what i dislike rather than what I like. I would like to overcome verbally beating myself up about all my faults and listening to the negative comments of my loved one. I know God doesn’t see or think of me that way. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for this e-mail. I really needed it and especially at this time.. GOD KNEW!!! I have struggled off and on with my emotions of acceptance. Am I good enough, smart enough, nice enough etc…. I know God loves me as I am, but sometimes I just need that assurance and confidence to not wither…..I am very blessed to be in HIS FAMILY… SO with this e-mail it does remind me that I am loved and preapproved…. THANK YOU
Patti
One area I would change is how I feel about myself. Seeking affirmation in everything can be hard because you want positive response and yet at times you get negative ones, which can make me feel like I am not good enough.
I used to think that my worth is defined by what I do and what I achieve. I kept on filling my schedule with tons and tons of work until it came to a point when I was left with no joy and peace. I believed in Satan lies telling me how worthless I am when I fail to accomplish something the world regards as “great.” But God, in His love, mercy, and faithfulness, made me realize that I am valued not for what I do but for who I am and whose I am. I still struggle with my identity in Christ, and I know I must get intentional each and every day about resting in His love and fixing my eyes only on Him whose love endures forever.
At 58 years of age, I have endured a lifetime of emotional abuse from my mother who, among many other things, regularly tells me that she never wanted me; I’m a rotten daughter. Add to that the past 17 years of being married to an emotionally and verbally abusive man; I’m a lousy wife. I KNOW that God sees beauty in me through His eyes; I KNOW that Jesus is the Lover of my soul. I KNOW that I am a daughter of the King. But wow…..sometimes the weight of my world just overwhelms me and His voice fades into the background of the louder voices. I do need to hear and truly listen to encouraging voices, reminding me of who I am in The Lord.
Oh Greta……..you and I have shared many things. I had a Mom who told me she didn’t want me and treated me that way most of my life and an ex husband who was horrible. I had panic attacks for years. Please know that no matter what anyone says to you……..God loves you, God values you. You were born because He wanted you here and you are a treasure to Him. I know how hard it is to not listen to the voices saying otherwise but those voices are satan trying to tear you down and hinder your witness for the Lord….but through Christ you have the power to silence them. I use to suffer greatly from those voices until I started saying, out loud where ever I was “I am the daughter of the King. Go away, satan! You have no power here. In Jesus’ name I tell you to go and leave me alone!” Satan must flee at the name of Jesus. Sometimes I had to do this several times a day. I was well trained and he is persistent and will return but if you are consistent with your stance as a child of God, eventually the voices will lessen and lessen and fade away. They are replace by a sense of well being……….even if the situations in your life don’t change………you have the peace of God and the knowledge that you are valuable to Him. Every time you do this is a victory for you. Really, that is all that matters in this life and how you shine your life for Him. It’s possible that through your changed demeanor that you could make a change in your mother and husband treatment of you but if not, you will have the peace that only Jesus can give. I pray that through this study you can see that you are truly beautiful.
Thank you, Brenda, for your most encouraging words. Kindred spirits, are we? I too experience panic attacks, as well as intestinal issues, sleepless nights….all brought on by stress, so my docs say. I will now start to use your declaration to rid my mind of the voice of the evil one. Thanks again for sharing! I will pray that your light will continue to shine hope and encouragement to others!
I long for the rejection I have felt, on so many levels to be removed from my DNA.
Once and for all claiming the VICTORY of God’ seeing me as Loved & Preapproved; this would be the final healing balm to the uncertainty in me; one which no one else sees.
As I consider leaving work to pur into my daughter in her high school years I’m wrestling with worth and purpose apart from my part-time paycheck. I know who I am in Christ and live in that, but wrestling a bit as a woman, just the same.
Ha! I thought you were going to offer a credit card or similar credit based offer! 🙂
I’m glad to know that my debt has been paid and my value is not based on how I look, my performance, or other limiting notion that keeps me from seeing things through God’s eyes.
I know God loves me and finds me beautiful, but I have been thru so many set backs in my life (relationships that have failed) that my self esteem is rock bottom. I do not see myself thru God’s eyes…..I see myself thru my eyes. I see every failure, every fault, every “less than perfect” flaw and every hurt that sets me back. It is a journey that I am struggling to get thru. Thank you for your post in my email that reminds me of God’s unfailing love
I’ve never thought of it as being “pre-approved!” What a great reminder!
Married 9 years, 31 yrs old, 3 daughters and I’m not where I feel I should be with God. Alot of it has to do with my confidence and being shy. I would love to see myself “Pre-Approved” wtih GODS boldness to be the “ME” he destined “ME” to be!! Our girls are watching and I have to take a stand especially in todays society….Amen
WOW. needed this reminder badly. The feelings of self worthlessness… am I doing what needs to be done in many areas of my life… witness, wife, mother, taking care of myself. THANKS!!
I woke up this morning feeling dragged down by the same old stuff. Never enough. Never enough. Then I saw your FB post, Renee. Thank you so much for the reminder that in Christ I am enough. I’d love to read your friend’s new book. I read “A Confident Heart” last year and found it so encouraging. I guess I need some serious encouragement every spring!
I try to stay positive even through the problem and all that I am going through right now because of my 22 year old daughter. Beautiful young lady who have had a bad experience in life with a guy who told her he loved her and broke her heart it causes her to self doubt herself a lot. I would love to win this book to give to her so she could really see who she is in the eyes of God. She has a beautiful spirit. She’s an awesome praise dancer in church. But the Am I Good Enough To…. always get in the way. I ask for your prayers for my daughter, Krystal.
I love this title! I need this reminder EVERY day! Being married to a man who tore me down at every opportunity, it is hard to keep in mind that God loves me anyway. I constantly find myself seeking approval from those around me. Am I doing this right? Am I wearing the right outfit? Am I saying the right words? But God has already pre-approved all my actions, words and yes probably even my outfits. 😀 I would love to dig deeper into this book! Thanks for the opportunity with contests like these (since I’m out of a job and slow to find one, but God will open that door when it’s time, it’s hard to buy new books). Thank you again for this reminder!