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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Knowing that I am per approved and loved what a great reminder!
Pre-Approved by God! I need to be enough to myself
Everyday I pray the Lord would transform me by the renewing of my mind. With everyday living out ‘life’, running this race Heavenward here on earth as a wife, daughter, mom, grandma and friend. What a wonderful reminder I am pre-approved by my Heavenly Father and that He chose me and loves me. I am one of The King’s kids. I am so thankful for His amazing grace, mercy and love. His promises do endure forever.
Treasured.
Dear Renee,
Do you ever feel like you just want to never go home because you have no one to share your disappointments with. That is how I feel tonight. I have been accused unjustly, completely left out of something our unit did, at our event, failed at getting anyone to be a friend and come with me to my event, and my husband says don’t come home and tell me anything I don’t want to hear it. I feel like there’s no other person I can trust but God right now. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I know God loves me but I can’t stop crying. Maybe that’s a good thing. He’s the only one I can turn to now. I worry about my disabled daughter because I don’t think my husband cares. I needed to hear that I have been pre approved by God to be loved. I’m sorry! LOL
Janet
Each time I feel as if I have overcome my need for approval;something will be said and the cycle begins again! I have noticed that I continue to be drawn to people who challenge me in this area! I have come to see that God is using them as a reminder that I need no man’s approval.I am His beloved child!
Knowing God sees me as worthy & pre-approved when I don’t
weight been battling my weight for years and i love the the way god see me thank you for reminding me my word for the week will be pre-approved
I think the one area I would love to see myself as God does is “My Heart”…I love God so much and aim to please him in the things I do and say, however, I feel like I fall short so many times…I think it would be awesome/scary to know what he sees when he looks at my heart.
I need the reminder that I’m pre-approved by God even before I DO anything for him. He loves me first, not after all the work. Sometimes this is hard to remember!
I would love to receive this book……I grew up always being told I wasn’t wanted and
I wasn’t good enough. I am learning to rely on God’s promises that I am wanted and that I am special!
Knowing I’m accepted by God, knowing He made me the way I am, is what encourages me daily. I am learning to disregard others disapproval & striving to please only Him. I follow you, (in)courage & many others in your ministry on twitter. Thank you for the many encouraging words & resources!
I need reminders in my daily life everywhere. As women we are so critical of ourselves and I don’t think it’s easy to see ourselves as our Father does.
Positive self talk and affirmation. God doesn’t want us beating ourselves up. He made a masterpiece with each of us.
Funny… In Church on Sunday Jesus took me to the portion in 1 Peter to remind me that He has chosen me & then You send this as another much needed reminder. I struggle with rejection issues & not feeling good enough in so many areas. I love how He takes time to remind me that He has already chosen me and won’t ever reject me or abandon me or fail me & that His love for me is never-ending.
Blessings to you & thank you SO much for being the voice of confirmation to me!!
I struggle every day with feeling loved, adequate, and chosen. I know God is faithful and there to walk my family and my through some extremely difficult times. Yet I often feel alone, isolated and unsupported caring for 2 young adult children who are medically fragile, technology dependent and doing my best to support our son who is currently incarcerated awaiting trial for a crime with no evidence to support the accusations. Missing our son and granddaughter (who we rarely see now while her daddy awaits trial). Fully relying on God and faithful prayer warriors as we walk this challenging journey
I would just like to be joyful again. Somewhere over the years I have lost it and am struggling to have the deep joy. Not sure how that fits here, but I want to see myself as God does, and that includes joyful.
Rachel,
I wanted to share a story with you, I used to allow negative things to enter my life (others words, circumstances, etc.) and it changed how I saw myself. One day my son came into the room where I was and said something negative about himself. It broke my heart, as I turned to him fighting back the tears, I said “no you’re not, you are beautiful” and as I said it, I could hear God say “And so are you”…it took seeing my son hurt, to understand how God must feel when we hurt. As God’s child we have access to his fruit which includes: Love, JOY, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. Galatians 5:22-23….Grab hold of what he’s already given you. And don’t forget, you are a child of the one true King!!
Being chosen, valued, pe-approved by God is such powerful wording to my ears….
Loved by my Heavenly Father forever and ever…
Blessings!
I know God sees me as a beautiful, confident,strong, and loving daughter. I really need to really take it as he sees me but I am struggling because of my weight and being more outgoing. I am grateful he sees me as I am no matter what I think.
I was in an abusive marriage for 34 years before I got out. Through wonderful Christian counselors and friends I have torn down the horrible words that were spoken to me but sometimes they come back out of nowhere and bring me to a place of insecurity and fear. Thanks for the reminder “pre-approved” no matter what has happened to me, my Father loves me.