“What, then, shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NIV)
Have you ever felt beat up by discouragement? Has your mind been bullied by thoughts of doubt such as:
I can’t do it all!
I am not cut out to be a wife, a mom, a daughter, a _______, a _____ and all the other things God has called me to.
In my Proverbs 31 devotion today, I share how I felt bullied by doubt one morning when I woke up. My thoughts were completely against me, and my feelings were too.
While I was laying in bed feeling completely inadequate, my radio alarm came on and my thoughts were interrupted by Twila Paris singing to me.
With confident assurance, she told me it was no time for fear, but a time for faith and determination. She challenged me not to lose my vision or be carried away by my emotions, but to hold on to all that I had hidden in my heart, and all I believed to be true. Then she reminded me of the most important truth of all: God is in control. [1]
Her words aligned my thoughts with God’s truth, and I went from feeling afraid to feeling determined and from feeling out of control to knowing God is in control.
We have the choice either to let doubt beat us up or to let God’s truth build us up.
I had set my radio to that station the night before so I would wake up hearing encouraging music and truth. Just like I intentionally set the dial of my radio alarm, we need to get intentional about tuning our thoughts into God’s thoughts toward us – every day.
In the same way a radio has AM and FM frequencies, so do our thoughts. They are either AM (against me) or FM (for me) thoughts. The truth is, we are often our worst critics and have a lot of AM thoughts.
If our thoughts are against us, our feelings will be too, BUT we don’t have to let doubt bully us anymore.
We have full access to God’s power and His promises to live with a confident heart. Yet it won’t just happen because it’s possible. We have to take action.
So, the next time we get feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt, let’s stop and ask the Holy Spirit to show us what we’re thinking that is making us feel that way. Then let’s compare our thoughts about that situation to God’s thoughts, which are reflected in Scripture.
Do they match? If not, find a promise in God’s Word to replace the lie that has filled your heart with doubt. Here are few to get your started:
• When doubt comes against me, saying I’m weak and all alone, I will focus on the truth that God is for me! I can be strong and courageous because the Lord my God is with me. He will never leave me nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)
• When doubt comes against me, saying I’m not good enough for a certain role or position, I will remember that God is for me! He says I am His masterpiece, created to be new in Christ so that I could do good things He planned long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)
Lord, thank You that You are with me to fight for me against my enemies of insecurity and inadequacy. In all these things, I am more than a conqueror through You who loves me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[1] “God Is In Control,” © 1993 by Twila Paris.
© 2012 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.
In what area of your life do you currently have the most “against me” thoughts?
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I love how you wrote “When doubt comes against me, saying I’m not good enough for a certain role or position, I will remember that God is for me! He says I am His masterpiece, created to be new in Christ so that I could do good things He planned long ago”. The Lord has called me to pursue a degree in counseling in order to help young women work through childhood abuse. Satan has continually told me, that I was not good enough for that role. God is continuing to confirm for me that this is his plan, not mine and he is sufficient to accomplish all that he has planned. I will continue to pursue his will and not believe the things the devil tells me to try to deter me.
Please pray for me to be the best mom and wife that I can be. May 16 , 2011 my baby girl , Amber was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Rett syndrome. She probably will never talk. She didn’t start walking till she was 2 1/2…. She is 3 1/2 now. She has the sweetest smile that can heal all heartaches. She also has a 14 yr. old brother n amed Adam. They are my life. I am married to their daddy now for 20 years. Rett syndrome is a very scary thing.
Thanks so much for your sweet testimony and reminder of God’s control in our lives. There was a time in my life when self doubt truly had an upper hand – however, I have just come out of a 6 year health battle and while it was an enormous trial – the strength and comfort that I learned from the kindness of His hands have left me confident that, no matter how big the trial, He is a bigger God. Praise His Name!
He is sweet – very sweet – in the suffering.
I have been struggling with doubt for awhile now. Not really knowing if i truly gave my all to god. Everytime i try to trust and believe on his promises here come doubt and im back at not believing. I came from very hard life if you knw what mean and still i am trying to keep going toward christ. I am struggling to be stable in christ and when all those doubts come in it just knocks me down. I am totally lost and feel like giving up the fight cause i see no victory how can i walk by faith when i cant win a aingle victory over doubt?
Renee, I just finished your book a month ago and it came at a very appropriate time. My family just became missionaries to Ecuador and since being here, God has allowed me to begin work on a lifelong dream. However, the mix of the two “challenges” often get the best of me and I find myself focusing on the idea that I can’t do it, or I’m not talented enough, or I’m not dedicated enough. Thanks for writing with such transparency for in that I saw myself and realized I wasn’t alone. I’ve learned to recognize AM and FM thoughts and begun to battle them. This post was a reminder for me on a day I woke up feeling purposeless!
I would love to share this book with a friend! Thanks again for following God’s call.
My confidence in my ability to find the rightng people to give me heart to is lacking. I have desperately sought out women to be friends and each time find I’ve confided in the wrong people. I am a married mom of two little girls trying to find a good group of women to lift me up and in turn lift them, but instead I’m torn down and lied about and lonely. Feeling a bit unworthy at this point but trying to turn my thoughts to grace.
What a timely post. I was just thinking how nice it would be to have one encouraging person right now. Everywhere I turn it seems someone is wanting something more or something better from me. So tiring and discouraging. Time to dive into the word!
I have to tell you, I keep coming back to this post as my thoughts seem to continuously come back to am thoughts. I know that God is working in me and I am choosing to focus on truth but there are so many moments when they win. I covet your prayers.
Beautiful and powerful message!
Grace given to 1
As I walk in God’s time…not my own~
Not just today but for the past year I have been wondering why I’m on this earth. I was in a long term relationship and found out my boyfriend had been seeing someone else. I was and still am heart broken. I have reflected on this period in my life and realise that im always trying to please others and also seek their approval. My am thoughts tell me that I’m worthless, however, there are times my fm thoughts say God will get me through this time and in time send me a decent husband. I find it difficult to maintain fm thoughts. and would like you to pray for me.
God bless you all.
Thank you for this ……. HIS perfect timing…. So discouraged before I read this.
Thank you!!!
I know better than to listen to those AM thoughts- but that doesn’t stop Satan’s smooth tongue from saying convincing and doubting things to me as if they were my own thoughts.
Renee- your post today really woke me up that I had bought into the lie- everyone at work is against me, nobody likes me or respects me, no one wants to be around me, my body is broken & I will lose my career and worth to others in this world…. those are all LIES. Those thoughts are not my thoughts. No- it’s the devil whispering them as if they were my own- playing off my back pain from an injury & migraines and adding in a bunch of defeating ideas. THANK YOU for reminding me to SWITCH the channel. I’ve been wallowing in self pity – it is time to clime out of the hole and grab the rope of Hope. I remind myself that God has purpose for me otherwise the devil wouldn’t be after me. HA HA- the veil is off & I see the TRUTH.
I have enjoyed your book now for the second time. It has carried me through hard times along with some new friends Lysa,Tracie, just to name a few Proverbs31 friends that has given me encouragement every day. l translate as best l can encouraging words for my husband.The world sees this larger than life buisness owner, making decisions everyday I see him being bullied by the world and he is expected to be right all the time or in his mind he’s a failure,and if he fails his people and their families will be hurting, so l translate what l hear you saying in you book to a male, and sometimes l quote bible verses but l really think men hear things differently NO Du, LOL please think about a Confident Heart for men, maybe as told from Jay’s perspective LoL. Pray for David l have always said it must be very hard to be a Business man and a Christian, but my friends said no you have to be a Christian business man, and he says its just not that easy.
thanks, renee, for your constant transparency as you allow us to see your struggles…and the myriad ways that the Lord has helped you to deal with and be delivered from them. “Your Word, Lord, i have treasured in my heart so that i may not sin against You.” this is my desire, my effort, my yearning, my stand. using the structure of am/fm surely assists me in attaining to this! God bless you each and all. <3
Good morning I just was reading this devotion & its right on point because alot of times I just feel like Im not good enough for anything because of my past & the things I did when I was living of the world which is now affecting the chances of me gaining employment. I went to a university on yesterday to fill out a job application & the lady was ready to hire me but because of a charge I have on my record stopped me frim gaining employment. On the application as many have state that even if you answer yes to the question of have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor & if you answer yes & explain the matter at hand that answering yes to the question does not affect the chances of you getting the job even with the background check. Well anyway I cried when she told me that it was nothing she could do to get around me getting the position because my charge was a CDS ( control dangerous substance). So now I feel as if Im not ever goin to get a career or I should say have a career & this just dicourages me to go on in my search of employment.
Coming from an abusive home, I’ve struggled with feeling of inadequacy for most of my life. I’m tired of constantly feeling that I don’t measure up. I echo Linda D’s heart when she shared that she often feels that she is not worthy to do God’s will because she is not qualified. I so desire to be an instrument in His hands, but I am my own worst enemy and obstacle. Your book has been such a blessing to me. I love the reminder in Ephesians 2:10 ” I am His masterpiece, created to be new in Christ so that I could do good things He planned long ago.”
I’ve been discouraged lately because of a couple of broken relationships. I felt like a victim of circumstance but most of all, I doubted my God-given abilities to be a good, trustworthy friend to others around me. I felt insecure and very unsure of who I am… I’m thankful for your post; it reminds me to look to God constantly, again and again, rather than to my problems.
Yep. Me too. Lately, and really since I’ve been a mom, (almost 11 years!) my a.m. thoughts concern my ability to be the mom my children need. I so often forget that God made no mistake when He made me the mom of my two amazingly beautiful kids. I so often forget that He has specifically chosen me as and equipped me to mother them and to love them as He does. Thanks, Renee, for this post. Truly.
Wow! I thought I was the only one with so many AM thoughts. Thank you for helping me focus on FM thoughts instead.
I live in TX and my parents and sister live in VA. My parents have been diagnosed with various stages of Alzthimers. My sister is asking that my husband and I move back to VA to be temporary caregivers. I was always the “black sheep” of the family. Going back where I was criticized for making so many bad personal and professional decisions is bringing up many many doubts. Here in TX I have no one except my husband to question my choices. Returning home means walking back into the place where nothing I did was ever good enough.
I know God can change circumstances and mend these relationships. I need to heavily lean on Him to help me know if this return to VA is the right one