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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I would have to say the appearance of my body is where I have the most difficulty feeling approved.
I would like to see myself as God sees me instead of how I see myself after abuse. If I had to choose one thing it would be innocently pure. I wrote the following poem that includes how I feel about myself. I wonder what God sees and what he is shaping me to be.
My life is a puzzle created by a loving God
Starting out as a breathtaking masterpiece
Flawless, unique, pristine, and pure
Untouched by the sin of the world
Crumbled into fragments under the pressure of life
Now wrecked with missing pieces
After effects of unwelcome abuse –
Ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated
Confused, degraded, guilt-ridden,
Frightened, anxious, angry,
Insecure, inadequate, undesirable,
Depressed, hopeless, despairing,
Withdrawn, hesitant, secretive,
Distrustful, suspicious, apprehensive,
The original left shattered and damaged.
Busy restoring His work of art,
Gently loving and waiting patiently
Healing the pain and nursing the wounds
Slowly and deliberately refurbishing
Replacing the pieces-
Broken, missing, scratched, and neglected
Gradually enhancing its magnificence
Bringing the puzzle back to life
That is my creator God – a Virtuoso!
Amen
I am loved by The Lord. So ermines I move away but in my heart I know He is there. When I feel unloved, I seem to pull away from others.
I’m 54 years old. I still struggle with insecurities and tend to feel that I’m not a good enough person in many areas of my life. The other day my boyfriend said to me, God thinks of you as his beautiful daughter, but you don’t see it. I need to work on that.
This is very hard to do when you have an Earthly Father that doesn’t love you, probably hasn’t ever loved you, was absent, neglectful, abusive, alcoholic, and addicted, and doesn’t care whether you are alive or dead, hurt or hurting. I thank God everyday that I have a Heavenly Father that does care however. Helps you get through those very difficult times when you feel all alone in the world. One area??????? Impossible to determine.
I would’ve to see myself as valuable. To be worthy. To be able to contribute to God’d kingdom in a meaningful way.
Greetings to everyone. My area of feeling unapproved and ugly too is my body. I have been grossly overweight since I was 8 years old – 58 years. I accept my face and hair but cannot believe that God could call my body beautiful. Tears right now, but I am more able to believe that I am beautiful on the inside now.
God Bless, Laurel
It’s hard to remember I am a princess , a child of the king, when I so often tell myself I am a slug…thinks for the encouragement to do better.
Having grown up in an alcoholic home, I lived with strife, rejection etc. I am not a young woman but I still find myself feeling a lot of ingrown negativity. I so appreciate A Confidant Heart and all that the ladies at Proverbs 31 ministries do. Thank you so much. God bless you with all you need to keep on keeping on.
Thank you. I am in a phase now that I am not good enough for lots of things. I try to be good enough but always feel that someone else is better.
Oh my I love this! I spent years in the “never good enough” cycle. Then I found God, formed a relationship with my Heavenly Papa, who loves me. Now I know He always did, no matter what, I am Pre-Aproved!. Thank you Renee for your book “A Confident Heart” and your online study. It helped me SO MUCH on my journey to overcome, to gain strength and confidence. Thank you Jesus for coming to save me!
I struggle with low self esteem with my looks,feelings of worthlessness ,also feeling like there will never be a man to love me just because.I have been one to always try and fit in with any and everyone and now I just mostly stay to my self.I try to lift others up but it’s hard to encourage myself at times and know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Thank you for these words. I am struggling with my image and the need to lose weight. For health reasons, I need to work on getting rid of a few pounds. You reminded me that I am still beautiful in God’s eyes and he will be with me on my journey – cheering me along the way. Blessings to you and all our fellow sisters in Christ
I’d love to see myself as “beautiful” like God does. I find myself fat, ugly, and repulsive. 🙁
Thanks for the reminder. When you are the one who is in leadership, everyone looks to you to have it ‘all together’. AND that is not always true. I struggle with weight issues and try not to allow the world to dictate how I should look, but I falter. I struggle with being a ‘man-pleaser’ —wanting to be liked and loved, all the while KNOWING that God loves me, so I shouldn’t look to man to satisfy what only He can. BUT, I AM PRE-APPROVED—God knew what He was getting when He called me. Thanks for the post today, it was needed. I love what you do for the ladies of the Lord.
I just want to feel loved and accepted.
a few areas unfortunately – not good enough – didn’t do enough with my life – not good enough – still renting after al these years, others look with disdain and disbelief LOSER
I know God things otherwise in my head, hard to feel it in my inner being
I know God planned everything about me when I was created and I’m so thankful HE adores me….but I am a soft heart and feel deeply about others and life and that can sometimes be so painful when in the company of those who think soft heart’s are nonsense.I desire to encourage others and I know this is just how God made me, but I would truly like to change the need for approval from the people with the temperament that is opposite from mine. Granted this doesn’t happen often , but it seems God has put this type of person in my path often over the years so I’m pretty sure God is trying to grow me beyond this. I’m so thankful He never gives up on us. He is my anchor.
One area I need to see myself as God sees me is…the feeling that I am “good enough” and “smart enough” to be used.
I need to KNOW this, in my heart, not just in my head. Because every day I am reminded of those lies that not just the enemy has fed to me since I was a child, but the ones I feed myself- and believe. I cannot imagine feeling, or ever BEING *enough*…. for my children, for my husband, and definitely not for God- the one I want & need to be enough FOR!! Thanks for this opportunity and for this book!!