I hated feeling so uneasy and uncertain. Lost within my own heart. If only I knew what was making my emotions so wobbly. If only I could name it. Then I could figure out what to do about it. One morning, Jesus whispered it’s name in the quiet of my heart. It was doubt. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t worry. Self-doubt was making me question everything I thought, felt and said. Naming it helped me know how to pray. Naming it led me to confessions I needed to make and promises I could claim. Naming it made me feel like I could finally stand up to it. Two summers ago, I got to visit the Farm and sit on the porch with my friend, Ann Voskamp. We talked about the power of naming things- the hard and the holy everyday grace things. How essential it is to our healing. We shared how doubt and fear had overshadowed our lives for so long, but how we both found hope and freedom once we learned to name them. Would you join us on the porch? {Be sure to turn up the volume. A tractor passes by and it gets kind of loud.} If you’re reading this via email, click here to view the video on my website.
“When you don’t have a name for something, you’re haunted by it’s shadows…But when you can name something… It loses it’s mask and you can find a strategy to deal with it.” (One Thousand Gifts)
Just days after Ann and I chatted on the porch, I received these two notes. “Renee, I just finished reading the first chapter of A Confident Heart . Thank you so much for writing a book like this and knowing exactly what it’s called that I’m going and have gone through all my life and didn’t know what it was called. ~ Sharon “I’ve always doubted myself, but like you I called mine different names. It felt so good to know and hear that I am not alone and that I can find my God-Confidence. ~ Megin
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Lord, thank you for showing us just how much we need to name that doubt, that fear, that worry – so we can find a strategy to overcome it with You! There is power in Your Name, and power in naming the things that hold us captive. Give us wisdom and insight to name them, and courage to claim and walk in the overcoming power that is ours in Christ. In Jesus Name Amen! Join Us On The Porch Slip a note in the comments below this post by clicking “Share your thoughts.” As a special gift, each of you who join Ann and my conversation will be entered for a chance win one of three copies of A Confident Heart and one copy of Ann Voskamp’s New York Times Best-Seller, One Thousand Gifts. 
Meet Us On the Porch Again This Week? Ann and I kept talking, and we’d love for you to join us on the porch again on Thursday, when we’ll share more. If you’d like a little reminder, enter your email in the box in my sidebar that says
RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES and I’ll slip a note in your inbox when it’s posted.
I am so smitten with the idea of naming, specifying, as God had Adam name the animals. I remember a sermon I once heard – Jesse Duplantis, perhaps – talking about how God had Adam name the animals as a confirmation of his being made in the image of God. When Adam said “Giraffe”, God said, “Yes, Adam, that’s right.” That the names were already IN Adam because he was made in the image of God, but it took a “Light be!”-like expression to establish their existence and Adam’s hegemony. It’s tough to be afraid of something you can name. And then use the name to cast it out. 🙂 Glory.
Thank you for naming what I didn’t even know I wasn’t naming! So much work to do! So grateful to be doing it with women like you!
With recent major changes in my husband’s and my life, I would welcome some guidance to a confident heart.
Hi sweet friends, I am so moved by God’s timing of this post and what He’s doing in your lives through it. Im reading through your notes and plan to come back to share in the conversation tomorrow. Dinner needs to be fixed and we have a group of friends from church coming over for small group tonight. You are tucked in my thoughts and prayers.
I love doing online community life here with you!!
Renee
This message is confirmation to me that this process I’m dealing with has so much more to do with me, and less to do with anyone else. The Lord took me through this naming process 1 or 2 days ago and I was telling some friends how cleansing it was. He had me to list several different things, and then He told me to put only one name on it. Even though there was some not so cute things inside of me I needed God to reveal it to me for me to really be free. Thank y’all so much for sharing this with us. I’m definitely going to make a habit of putting a name on things. God Bless!
Ann’s book (which I borrowed) and this short video have rocked my world! To think, that simply in naming the very things that we struggle with or , in turn, are blessed by, that that naming will unlock our true connectness to God, wow! Thank you for sharing that momental truth in this video. The quote above will be placed on my mirror today as a reminder of that! Praise God!
This has prompted tears, and soul searching. I’m writing out thoughts and feelings with a Word document open in another computer window. I didn’t want to share it here. But I look forward to your post on Thursday, and would like a chance at the book giveaway of One Thousand Gifts. I participated in your online study of A Confident Heart, but I feel I’ll probably be reading the book again soon, after intense honesty with myself. Sometimes, honesty with oneself is too painful to face until you’re at the end of your rope, and then you have to.
I am reading the confident heart book now during my devotional time with God and really learning a lot. I plan on joining you on the porch for the conversation. The other book One Thousand Gifts looks interesting as well.
Good reminder and lesson that I need to apply to my life. I try to not think about the bad but I should name it and bring it to light instead of repressing. Thank you.
Thanks you so much for sharing this. I was halfway through this video and decided to share this on my page on Facebook. As a single mother of 3 children, ages 12,5 & 3, I encounter some major challenges in life. I decided about 3 years ago to make my relationship with God closer. I realized as I was approaching 30 that some decisions had to change. I began serving at my church despite what my circumstances were at the time. I decided to attend our group sessions every 1st and 3rd week so that I stay connected with God’s people so that I am held accountable for my walk with God. At some points in our lives we have to decide what to do even when it feels uncomfortable. Now as I have been committed to my relationship/walk with God I can face my challenges knowing God sees everything. So as I listened to this video I began to realize what I needed to do to put things into perspective as I am encountering this ongoing challenge I face. I know now to name this thing, confess it to God, pray to God for strength and perseverance and know that he will take care of it all. Thanks again for sharing.
I just love it and for the words of encouragement and to see to wonderful girlfriend’s talking to each other!!!!
Wow what an awesome idea!! I am getting ready to go for a walk and plan to start giving my fears and doubts names and thanking God also for all the blessings He has given to me .
Thank you for sharing. I have been praying the last few weeks for God to help me identify the source of my anxiety/fear/worry.
I am so glad I found this. Great encouragement for me as I have struggled with this all of my life. I look forward to more conversations that may lead me in the right direction. Thank you!
I’m learning to name and submit my thoughts to the Lord both good and bad, and is so comforting to know that He’s there to help me and give me strength to overcome anything and everything.
Emma
God has been teaching me these past few weeks all about His timing…devotionals, little bits of wisdom, sermons, provisions, and your video. All have come at just the exact time I need them, just when I’m struggling with an issue. I’m battling Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer. The doctor has told me that I will be on chemo the rest of my life and that my life may be as short as 2 years. But I don’t accept that. I know my God is still a healing God. I know that in His time He will manifest my healing with physical proof. Until then, I will continue to praise Him and thank Him for my healing. I will be grateful and thankful for the many blessings He gives me everyday. And when the enemy comes against me, I use your AM/FM formula, Renee, from the 7 Day Doubt Diet, to stand firm on God’s word and promises. I struggle with doubt and fear daily but I trust God to see me through.
I think naming the negative is important because we face what it is that is overwhelming us. We call it what it is. And as Ann said we recognize whatever it is, God is bigger, able to handle it.
Naming the positive is being thankful for each detail we have been blessed with. It’s like recognizing all the qualities in our children instead of just saying. Jessica is amazing. It’s itemizing why.
I also think it is childlike which is what we are encouraged to be. When I pray with my grandsons they mention each little thing, as well as each little fear.
Naming things is so powerful. This simply truth although difficult at times has set me free!
Love the idea of calling out these negative thoughts from my brain and shooting them down with God’s Word. So thankful Renee and Ann for being obedient to God and sharing their struggles.
Love this, naming our gifts from God helps us to realize he is living in us, we aren’t alone, and good or bad, he is there. Thank you.
Thank you for words of encouragement. Today I am going through a period of self doubt and uncertainty and I am finding that if I just name those feelings, I feel so much more intune to the Lord!
This was exactly what I needed today. I’ve been feeling a sense of failure today, like everything I did went wrong. This helped me realize it’s spiritual attack and I needed to fight it as such. Thanks for the reminder and letting me join you on the porch.
Thanks for sharing your heart and encouraging us in this process of “naming”, both the good and the bad and giving it all to God.
Such sweet insight to the heart of God’s love. Thank you!
I really needed to hear this.
Such a powerful principle to diffuse our tormentors, identifying them for what they are! When God shines His light, His truth on these ugly lies we’ve been believing, watch out! It’s only a matter of time until freedom comes. I didn’t know why I was a prisoner in my mind, thinking thoughts and recalling events I didn’t want in my head but it became ritualistic almost, feeling the pain. I prayed for help all through my 20s but I really believe if I would have prayed GODS WORD for my specific issues I would have been on the road to recovery a lot sooner! But we have to know what we’re dealing with- wow so true. So thankful for these tools you’ve provided us with Renee, to overcome the shadow of our doubts!! Thank you too Ann! Awesome video & Cant wait to read your book. God sends forth His Word and heals us, we are advocates for that! Love & Blessings to you both.
How timely this is for me. I am going through so much right now that I can’t name it. It being what the main thing is. My husband passed away in February and I realize how much I depended on him in these moments of doubt and uncertainty and he isn’t with me anymore. I am feeling sure it is because I haven’t given Paul to God to care for and I miss taking care of him as I have in the last 8 years of his life. He was paralyzed and could not walk and had many, many problems with his health before he passed away.
I realizing now what it is. I miss caring for him and have to let God care for him now.
Any help you may give me through your friends who post would be most appreciated.
It’s so like God to bring this little video chat to my attention just when I am seeking Him for healing about my constant battle with self doubt. Beth Moore’s “So Long Insecurity” got me launched on this current journey and I’m working through Rusty Rustenbach’s “Guide for Listening and Inner-Healing Prayer (Meeting God in the Broken Places)”. God keeps bringing what I need for the journey. What a Savior!
Thank you for that insight about name that which sometimes paralysis us. I think by naming that monster we are able to bring it down in Jesus name.
Thank you Renee and Ann –
I loved reading 1000 Gifts. It touched my soul. I am a “worrier”, “self-doubter”, and “self-hater” at times –
trying to find and receive God’s grace in my everyday life. Practicing “eucheristo” helps me focus on all that is good from God.
Blessings to you both for sharing from your souls…
Mary Jo
I have never really framed my own self doubt and anxiety in this way before, but it makes perfect sense. Like a person waiting for a diagnosis medically, I think I need to diagnose my own spiritual struggles. I appreciate you more than you know, Renee!
Well said. Naming something is the first step in understanding it and resisting it. This helps me understand why I keep talking to process until I can name something.
Thanks for sharing.
What a beautiful thing! So true and so needed! You can’t face and conquer what you refuse to name. We know our enemy, Satan, lives in the shadows and tries to create illusions so things seem worse than they, bigger than they are. As you said, naming them brings them into the Light. The Light can dispel the darkness. Thank you, God, for the Light, Your Son, Jesus!
Oh my! What a thought . . . name it, so you can fight it. Food for thought!
Thank you for this. I have been struggle with so much in our family. My husband has been out of work for a year, no jobs in sight, and his unemployment just ran out. He has gotten very discouraged. We haven’t seen our oldest son in 7 years, and we have yet to meet 2 of his children, our grandchildren. Our middle son has told us that he is gay. Our youngest daughter moved out last November without our blessing. She ran as fast as she could away from God and did what she wanted. We welcomed her back home a couple of weeks ago, pregnant. She is due July 22. We have not been able to buy anything to prepare for the baby. My daughter is very angry, as well as my son. The two of them are not getting along at all. The tension in our home is almost unbearable. I know running isn’t the answer, but boy do I want to run away. I need to name each thing that is causing me to feel like I do. I need to give them to God. I need to rejoice that He will take each thing and handle it. I need to trust Him. I believe, I need Him to help my unbelief. It is hard.
Love your book! We are doing a bible study with it right now:)
I have been struggling with spiritual warfare in an area of my life for almost two years now. I know God’s truth, but for some reason I can’t claim the victory. I just finished reading your book “A Confident Heart” for the second time. The ladies at my church have chosen “One Thousand Gifts” for a Summer Book Club. I haven’t purchased the book yet, because I wasn’t sure it was what God was leading me to do. Thank you for the affirmation and clarification!
This is such a great message. On the days I feel alone and just “off” I know if I just look at it for what it really is; self doubt, fear, exhaustion, anger, and hurt then maybe I can work on that particular issue. I find that they run so much together though that it is often difficult to single out one emotion to work on. I want so Mich to be happy and I know that I need to trust God. It is just trusting is so difficult.
This is exactly where I am at. Somehow the Lord is waking me up to the voices inside my head that aren’t healthy. The voices that say such negative, paralyzing damnations about myself. I started journaling them and was horrified to see on paper what I was hearing and believing. Something in me is rising up against the lies and the Liar. By God’s grace, I will not be held captive any longer.
This was just what I needed today. I am overshadowed with fears
and anxiety over health, moving,retirement. Will we be
provided for ? I so much need to name it and claim
that Jesus is my sufficiency and be able to REST
In that! Thank you for reminding me that I can trust
Him!
Naming it is so important it gives it a “face”, you don’t constantly question your sanity. Realizing you are not alone in your search. There is less of a void now. I am not questioning myself. I am listening better. Thank you for your books they are dogeared and rainbow highlighted.
I have been struggling with self doubt. God is moving me around and I am struggling with knowing whether I am capable of doing what He has called me to do. I have a good friend reading One Thousand Gifts and she loves it, so both books would be a blessing!
I’m in the middle of reading A Confident Heart … each time I read, I just weep and weep … never knowing that someone else felt exactly how I do and never knew that I believed in Him, but haven’t truly BELIEVED Him … trying to be confident in Him is such a hard thing to do for me!
Thanks for always sharing subjects taht hit home. You are the best. I have started reading A Confident Heart and love it. Keep up the great work.
Really needed to hear this today. Thanks for sharing.
Naming the gifts from God helps me accept what God has for me. I miss His gifts when I rush by and re frame from stopping and naming them. I am a farm girl, thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the timely reminder to be praise specific! Praising Him in the shadows and in the light. After all, we can’t have one without the other. Couldn’t help but think of the old children’s song, “Count Your Many Blessings…name them 1 by 1…and you will discover what the Lord has done…”
Thanks for sharing. It is encouraging.
thanks for the encouraging words today!