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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I did not realize that I should put a name to my fears or that I can change my thought process by naming my fears. I have the name of “not good enough” or “measuring myself to others” and always feel inferior which holds me back in both of my current businesses. I am praying now that I see myself as good enough because I do know that Jesus sees me that way. Thanks for sharing your findings.
Jesus, is truly the Name above all Names! We are able to name our fears, insecurities, joys, blessings, etc. because of Him. Everything we do is in Him and there is nothing we go through that he hasn’t been through already. This was a wonderful “front porch” discussion….keep up the good work GIGs, we love you!
thank you very much for the encouraging video. Just the other night I was thinking along the same lines, except that I am not courageous enough to find out what’s causing my fear, but I was praying for God to reveal the solution to it (is that cheating? 🙂 I suspect I know what’s causing it, I just don’t want for my suspicion to be confirmed).
I liked the visual that Ann mentioned of the circle of gifts -in Christ-thru Christ-back to Chist…so neat! And by the way, her voice is soo soft and soothing…you two make a great team together.
Thank you for sharing together. I so needed to listen to this. I have been feeling overwhelmed lately. One of the things intimidating me has been that I am going to lead a women’s discussion of “A Confident Heart” next month. I need this truth, but I don’t yet live it. Your conversation reminded me that I don’t have to perfectly live something I am teaching. I am sharing with sisters on a journey, not leading the way. Christ is our Leader.
Thank you so much for the conversation. I am listening to all of the conversations that you are having with Ann Voskamp. I am being totally blessed. Being willing to have the intimacy with God where He will expose the demon that is binding me up will show me the path that I need to take to walk in His freedom. It is always God. He wants to come close to show the specific things that need to be addressed when there is pain. Maybe it is fear, of what will happen. Maybe it is doubt that He will show up because of what happened in the past. Maybe it is a past issue of forgiveness. God is here and will love me in the way I need.
Thank you for sharing this moment.
Just need to share something that I have a hard time with using the phone due some mechanical issues with the phone and with myself. Honestly, I’m a little scared to tell this story due to fear of rejection but I want to share this so maybe where I’m coming from they will understand. I’ve only shared this with probably two people. One of them understood; the other one just say we went our own ways. But I know there’s a lesson in all of this and it’s the hardest thing I’m working through.
A couple of years ago, I had a cell phone that had some mechanical issues and I guess you can say I had the same issues. 🙂 I had some mentor church friends and one of them would ask we would like to invite you to have some food. I had that gut feeling that one of them that didn’t want me to attend but being naive I ignored it and with them. Did this many times and even started drinking alcohol with them.
I admire one of these friends because she was single/older and than she got married which still gives me hope but I donot know it’s in God’s plan. This older friend mentor me but I also know she had a lot of changes and I was getting to dependent on her and walked over the boundaries (maybe it’s part of being an only child) I’m not making that an excuse well maybe just a little. In addition, I was trying to help her stepdaughter who was living with me at that time free of charge. Well, it just didn’t work out. Well one day my cell phone would just keep on calling the stepdaughter Mom all the time that one night I had a police officer visit me and said you’re going to be cited for phone harrassement but I tried to explain that it wasn’t my phone and thankfully when the officer was there and I was talking the phone rang that number and yes that number was deleted but I know he didn’t tell that to the other lady but I loved the officer face. However, that point I was scared that I had a nervous breakdown that night on top of it the next day I went to the Church to play piano and I guess the Priest saw me and talked to the director that we were okay (she said no and I don’t want her to play the piano) so the stepdaughter told me if I played the piano the priest will call the police. That did it I stopped going to church for almost a year. I tried a couple of times but would just cry on my way there. One day I made it to the parking lot but couldn’t make it inside the Church.
It took me along time to trust anyone in the ministry but two years ago I found one that I told my story and even today even though we are very busy she still calls me even when she comes home from a long trip and understand my new way of living.
Also, as I was praying I know it wasnt all my fault but I was partly to blame due boundaries and I know lately I have failed with that e-mailing some people too much but I’m afraid if I would call them. They will say I’m sorry I don’t have time for you which I do understand with family, jobs, vacations, illness etc and somedays and there are truly honest which I’m thankful but it does sting. I know I’m guilty of doing the same things
A couple of times I have open this up to some friends that totally understood what I am working on this part with the strenght of God.
I give thanks to God for teaching this lesson to me and I’m so thankful for the friends who are in the ministry even when I act like jerk. The actions that they do just amaze me when I act like a fool (at least in my eyes) they still pray for you when they can’t be there or help you out when you run out of gas, or treat you to ice cream since they see you behind you in the drive thru, and help you out when you locked yourself out your house or church or car even when they have plans to go somewhere else they go out of their way.
How blind that I couldn’t see this kind of love. I know I am loved and accepted by God no matter how crumble I get. It’s a new day everyday and I’m glad that I have God walking side by side or even better in my heart and I know His love will never fail.
Shannon, you are not an only child! Being of Christ makes you a daughter, a princess, of the King and entitles you to sisterhood with all of us!
I love that we can put a name to something. That I can change my thought process by naming my fear. I have the name of “not good enough” and that holds me back. I am praying now that I see myself as good enough because I do know that Jesus sees me that way. Thanks for sharing.
What a beautiful soul Ann is. Thank you both for this wonderful message:)
It’s has been such a blessing to me to see OTHER women name what’s haunting them. For many years, my pride kept me from naming my insecurity and self-doubt. I thought it was expected of me to be strong and confident and that I would be letting others down if I admitted my weakness. Now I truly see that God’s power is perfected in my weakness and His grace is sufficient for me! Thank you! May God continue to richly bless your ministries!
thank you for the drawing. It is wonderful to hear from two of my favorite spiritual teachers!
Blessings!
We have a 8 ft long banner on the wall of our dining room that says “I will give thanks to the Lord” at the top and we listing our gifts as a family! We even have friends who come over and add to the list! It has been such a wonderful thing for our family and a conversation starter about Christ and His love over and over!
I’m naming hoarding and clutter in my life. I have named anger in years past, Today I am naming hoarding. I searched out an interview where she reminded me that when I’m in the darkness, God is right there with me. He is covering me so that when I come out of the darkness he removes His hand that I may see Him. Thank you for this lesson. You have given me a different view of where I am at today, in this valley.
Thank you so much for inviting us all to this conversation. I have struggled terribly with health anxiety. I will have panic attacks and slip into depressions, all because of terrible worry that I will lose my health. I watche this video and really prayed and contemplated what I needed to name. I came away that in reality it isn’t the loss of health I fear, but the fear of leaving my young children with no one to care for them. I feel like I need to pray for wisdom to make proper plans in case something awful were to happen, but more so, pray to let go and realize the children and I are in the hands of our loving God.
I’ve had a light bulb moment here- watching this video really made me realize why God has told me to call things by name- so HE can enter in & fix them!
Thank you for sharing this – my resistance to name things is gone- now I know what God was really telling me- I just had to hear it- thank you for being His voice.
Just wanted to let you know that what you have said is so dead on! After reading Renee’s book, A Confident Heart” several times I came to realize naming fear was the beginning to healing my heart. God has done so much to bless me through your openess and honesty.
I would love to start to name gifts and name thing instead of not understanding.. There is power .. and I like how she said naming the dark things bring them into the light which is the Light of Jesus … how powerful.
Thank you for help in naming the things I doubt and replacing those doubts with the things I’m thankful for.
Thank you so much for sharing. This really struck home with me.
A friend shared this very thought with me last year. It is life changing. Want to continue internalizing this.