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)
The area I need improvement is to know that I am pre approved to not give up in my faith. To know that my many faults are going to improve. To keep encouraging others to stay strong and lift others up who are going through the same thing I am. Thank you Renee for your encouraging words.
I totally love this thought that we were already pre-approved by our Master. Such an eye opener and a relief!! I would LOVE for all my friends and all the ladies that I know to also receive this amazing message. We have somuch still to learn. Thank you for this awesome message. I would love to receive your book to learn and share!!!
One area, that is a difficult chiice. I think it would have to be acceptance of my coworkers. They don’t talk to me, include me in conversations. It is sometimes hurtful. I try to be friendly, but it just makes more guarded. I think it’s easier to be friends with guys less drama.
This is such an important message to be talking about. So many young ladies I mentor struggle with this very issue so early on in their lives. Praise God there is a message of hope for all of us.
I struggle with worth. Those I know have great jobs, families etc. I struggle on the back 40 feeling I have nothing of value- a ho-hum dead end job and a slow slide to retirement. I would love to see things differently as my Lord must see them. I feel there must be more to life- I would love the Lord to show me what it is.
Thank you for the reminder of reminding myself who I am in Christ. One of the things I need to remind myself is that I am enough, so “preapproved” is a fitting word to remind myself of! Love that word :0)
Every area right now. Not coping. Everything in my life has come crashing down at once.Would like a new life or to be someone else for once or be able to handle all the mess this time one more time1
Rene I thank God for your passion and dedication to help women!
I been blessed! Everything you write about is like taken from my own life story. Since I’m reading the Confident Heart Devotional I’m experiencing hope.
Now I pray that the head knowledge of being approved makes its transition to my heart by God’s grace and infinite power.
Such a privilege to share the message with so many
and be Blessed with an opportunity to win Love Idol
This is a subject that is so needed in my life to bring that healing only Christ can bring!
So many areas……parent, wife, teacher, daughter, etc…
My parenting and my work.
I’d love to see me as God sees me as a Mom. Preapproved sounds wonderful.
The mirror can distort our image and make us view ourselves as defective and inferior to others. God has pre-ordained us to become transformed into His image and what we see should reflect His glory. This is so reassuring to me and gives me hope and joy during my journey with God. I would enjoy reading this book to gain more of Jesus.
Once a conference speaker, worship leader & pastors wife, but shame came to my family, and I hid from all the embarrassment that we went through. Reading some of the printing in your book, has reminded me, that God’s not done with me. I feel each day a tug at what God is calling me to do and I know that from my beginning I was pre-approved, and the enemy came into my camp to only destroy what God was doing through us. I look forward to reading your book. Thank you for sharing.
Work. I constantly have to fight the battle of needing some kind of approval and/or affirmation that I’m on the right track. New management style pretty much has none of that. God is teaching me that all I can do is the best I can and that He will give me the strength, patience and affirmation necessary whether in this job or another. In the meantime, my role is more than enough if co-workers feel comfortable coming to ask for prayer, encouragement or to share a smile. The bigger picture is why I’m here or anywhere. Steeping myself in Christ!
I’m a few days behind in reading e-mails but think God had that in mind to see this today! Just got back from a 5:30 a.m. meeting with a friend @ the hospital, prepping for surgery. She wasn’t allowed to wear mascara because her eyes will be taped shut. Vanity welled up in my as thoughts ran through my head “Oh my… hopefully I never have surgery – I look bad without mascara, etc”. At 58, it doesn’t typically bother me – but today Jesus revealed there’s still insecurity. I’d love to have the book, not only for myself, but to share it & the Truth in it with others.
I am so glad that I took the time to read this. However, I would love to have the book. I want to get into the swing of things and help all of the young women at my church. I see a big need in our community. We don’t have any mentors that is doing it. So I would love to start this session with a group. what a great way to start with this book. Everyone still needs a little in couragement in a lot of areas. Today there are a lot of people going through several trials without hearing these kind words which lead to suicide. I would love to win this book if it isn’t too late. Thank you.
i would like to see myself as someone good enough to love.
Yes, I’ve always wondered whether I am “approved” by people around me.
Am I ok doing this, will this make them happy, etc
🙁
There are so many areas of my life that I would love to see myself as God sees me. I don’t even like myself most times and often wonder how others can like me if I can’t like myself.
There are too many areas that I need God to work on in my heart. Through the OBS I am learning so much and God is beginning to work in many areas and I am slowly relying on him to be my everything. I still have a long way to go, but with God’s help I’ll get there.
I need a constant reminder that God has preapproved my personality and my appearance.
“Preapproved”? I never thought of myself that way. I am so self conscious about the way I look how much I weigh, etc. I forget that God knows and loves me just as I am.
I am chosen? Treasured? Redeemed? Loved? Cherished? Enough? I am Pre-Approved? Really?! It has taken 47 yrs just to begin to understand that I AM all by HIM! So hard to walk daily moment by moment wanting to believe that I, me, am really one that God chose and loves me. How can He when it’s so hard to truely believe in myself. Every day it hurts less than the day before. Yes I become stronger but a very difficult road to walk. Having been through a valley of so many trials in my life, still trying to keep my head above water and just believe in HIm! Every day is a yearning to know more about my Lord and Savior. On this walk Proverbs 31 has been with me. Thank you. Hearing speakers…or reading your books or websites, I know this is God showing and leading me. I want to know Him more and serve Him to be able to serve others.
I would love to see me as God sees me in the area of balance. His balanced woman, not dealing with depression, able to do what He calls me to do.
I need to doubt less and trust Him more with ALL areas of my life. It’s the little things that cause me to doubt. I know He’s got the big things. I just have trouble with the daily little things that probably shouldn’t matter.
It’s funny how the Lord works sometimes, it’s really amazing. There is a stumbling block within me concerning my self worth. I have been asking in prayer to see myself as others see me because I believe they have more of glimpse of seeing me through His eyes. They see the good in me, They see Him in me, His developing character. Last night at church service I made vow to Jesus to believe what and who He says I am. Now, I just need to know who He says I am in Him and what makes me so special that He would die such a death for me. Thank you for the opportunity to share and a resource to pursue to help me understand and receive the love that He obviously wants me to receive from Him.
Just one area?? I don’t feel like I’m enough in a lot of ways! I just want to feel like I’m worthy of love instead of having to earn it by cooking gourmet meals, keeping a clean house, balancing the budget, choosing the right activities to nurture my son’s development, achieve more at work… I want to really believe that I’m loved and adequate because of who I am, not for what I do.
Congratulations on joining the (in)courage team! Looking forward to reading this book… Thanks for the giveaway!
Hello all,
I love your posts. As women we struggle in so many areas to feel accepted and approved of. Barely over a year ago I lost all hope and tried to take my own life. It has been such an uphill battle since then. The hardest times are when I try to do “it” on my own. I have always been the fixer, doer, go to person. You know the mom, wife, college student, working mom like so many of us out there. I forgot about God, grace, love, and Jesus. Everyday all women should have the confidence of the Fathers love and know it exists. Some days I remember but many are spent toiling until a gentle reminder finds it way to me like this email today. Thank you again for reminder that no matter what there is nothing we can do to earn the acceptance, love and approval that was given in the greatest act of love of all time.
I love this….and I’ve learned that the only voice that I need to hear is God’s voice of approval…Yes, we are HIS BELOVED. It doesn’t matter if “he loves me or he loves me not”…because HE (God) loves me.
The area I would love most to improve is to be free from the need to hide in the shadows. After growing up with a hypercritical, abusive father and family members, I’d worked to get my teaching certificate and license. I was making progress and growing. I finally felt I was worthwhile and able to fulfill what I thought God had designed me to do. However, during my tenth year, an abusive principal, hypercritical parents, and the extreme demands from my principal stole my health. My doctor told me I had to find another career. A couple of months later I developed pneumonia. That was four years ago, and I’ve been slowly trying to rebuild, but still want to hide in the shadows. I’m almost finished with my Paralegal program, but still struggling with self esteem which will hinder job hunting. I know God doesn’t make mistakes, and has a much better plan for my life. Would love to be able to walk into a room and not want to hide.
I really struggle with my physical appearance. (weight, clothes, etc.) I would love to see myself as God sees me.
This book sounds amazing.my area of struggle is my body.I pray to one day see myself as God see’s me. Thanks for all you do.you truly are a blessing……… vicky
All I can say is WOW, God is good all the time