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.
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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.