I was completely blindsided. I’d been called into a meeting at my church with another women in leadership who was upset with me. She’d been upset with me for months, but I had just found out about it.
Someone had told her I didn’t agree with the way she was leading. But that wasn’t at all what I’d said – months before – in a meeting with several other leaders. I had simply been asked my opinion about a situation and I shared my thoughts and they weren’t directly about her at all. And I was so sad that I was just being asked about it, several months later.
I was hurt. She was hurt. We both volunteered countless hours in ministry, pouring our hearts and our lives into women in our church. All the while, we were on the same team and assumed we both fully supported one another. But now the trust we had built for years was coming unraveled.
It was a mess. I was a mess.
I was done. I decided I wasn’t strong enough. Wasn’t resilient enough. And I was exhausted from trying.
That afternoon I went home and cried. Told God I was ready to call it quits. Laying my head down on my desk, I said I couldn’t do it anymore.
But… {my heart whispered} there was more to it… “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
I knew in that moment if I was willing to die to myself and completely rely on Christ in Me I could experience resurrection power.
I could walk away from God’s calling on my life or I could allow Jesus to live HIS life through me.
I could die to my desire to protect myself from getting hurt again and choose to tap into His power by relying on the strength of His Spirit in me .
I wasn’t enough … wasn’t strong enough, resilient enough, or humble enough. But Christ in me was more than enough.
In my P31 devotion today, I talked about how we can turn away from our feelings of defeat and doubt by living in the Light of God’s Truth. And here is one of the most important truths:
Jesus did not die on the cross just to get us out of hell and into heaven. He died on the cross to get Himself out of heaven and into us! That is resurrection life – and the very place where we get our enough!
If you have been crucified with Christ, you no longer live, but Christ lives in you!! The life you now live in the body, you can choose to live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave himself for you.”
When you feel inadequate, remember God says: You are CHOSEN.
“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he’” (Isa. 43:10).
When you feel afraid, remember God says: You are REDEEMED.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isa. 43:1).
When you feel unloved, God says: You are LOVED.
“You are precious and honored in my sight, and . . . I love you” (Isa. 43:4).
When you feel forgotten, God says: You are REMEMBERED.
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isa. 49:16).
When you feel insecure, God says: You are SECURE.
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders” (Deut. 33:12).
When you feel unable or unstable, God says: You are ABLE.
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (Hab. 3:19).
When you feel worthless, God says: You are CALLED.
“Youare a chosen [woman], a royal [priest], a holy [daughter], God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLES of today’s promises {in MSWord} OR {in a PDF}.
Lasting Confidence Giveaway: Enter to WIN 2 signed copies of my book, A Confident Heart, a Starbucks gift card and a Bath& Body works yummy fall treat! To enter, simply leave a comment below this post where it says “SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS” and do just that – you can share your thoughts about about today’s post or my devotion :-).
PS. Be sure to DOWNLOAD a free PRINTABLE of today’s promises {in MSWord} OR {in a PDF}.
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thanks so much for sharing. Just what I needed today! Blessings, Debbie
God works in our lives every moment of everyday, if we just pause to see it. I needed this post so much!! I pray daily that I just be enough. Enough for many reasons and in many ways. It’s not that I need to BE ENOUGH but instead,,, I need to let go and let God BE ENOUGH! I’m flawed, and He loves me anyway and that is more then enough. I love you Lord for loving that lonely little girl that never leaves this 46 yr old woman. This post came at a perfect time for me. ~Tonya
God Bless You and Keep You
Thank you for your thoughts
I love your devotions! I love the part where it says God loves the unloved…so very precious!!!!
Thank You so much for what you do. I thank God that he has led you to share the things he has brought you through..It is so encouraging!! God bless you in all you do!!
All I can say is ditto to ALL that everything everyone above has said. it’s so encouraging for me to hear that I am not the only one with these feelings. Thank you, thank you to all the gals who freely shared their issues/situations as it is again, helpful for me to know I am not alone.
Thank you for your devotional! It was very timely. I love the encouragement and verses you give. I also love the printable that I can post and read daily!
I really enjoyed this devotional! So timely, and I’ve printed off the reminders for myself and for a friend who deals with self-worth issues. Thank you for being led by the Holy Spirit to write the things that will help set women free!
Recently God has shown me I am not adequate, I am not enough! God is all to everything. Thank you for this opportunity.
I was talking with a lady in our church who really had not been involved with our ladies ministry, but maybe one time and she seem very up-set for some reason. I ask her would she come back again and join us. She told me she just did not know yet, there were some things she did not like. So, I ask her well, what would you differently? Before she was done, I felt overwhelmed. I wish I had not ask, because she acted angry. We are a small church and she thought things should be run like a big church. She thought we should have games at the annual women’s brunch etc. etc., which I started years ago. We do not have alot of time for games, but I could put a game in to give away a gift.
But, that night I went home feeling like I was not a good leader. I felt like I had failed. Everything I do is wrong. I beat myself up good and cried too. But, that night when I laid down I started praying to God and ask Him to help me. I told Him I wanted to always do things His way, not someone else’s way. I needed Him to help me and I trusted Him. I felt so much better after turning everything over to Him.
This is what I wrote:
Change me, O Lord
Make me beautiful inside and out
Help me be the kind of person You want me to be.
Change my attitudes and my thoughts
Help me to focus on You,
Help me be more loving and kind
Change my heart, O Lord
to feel Your presences,
to be humble
to let You guide my life.
Change me, O Lord
to be more like You. ~joyce
Thank Renee for this post. It really speaks to my heart. in Christ
Renee, I really enjoy your devotions so much. I listen to you on Spirit FM as well.
Your comment that Jesus did not die on the cross to get us out of hell into heaven. He dies on the cross to get Himself out of Heaven and into us. That statement made His entire ministry crystal clear to me. Thank you for using your ministry to move women, young and not so you. Peacefully and respectfully.
I know these feelings all to well. I am going through somethings right now and am overwhelmed with emotions. Not sure how to get where I need to be with God. I have struggled with feeling I don’t fit anywhere or belong. Thank you for the printables. I have printed it out and am going to carry it with me at all time. Thank you for all P31 does for people like me that needs that extra encouragement.
Very true. Thanks for sharing.
I love today’s printable promises. I copied these out of “A Confident Heart” when I first read it. Now when I start to feel inadequate or not enough, I focus them back toward God in a prayer of thanksgiving: “Thank you God that I am chosen, thank you that I am redeemed, thank you that I am loved….” It helps calm my heart and to remember to listen to truth and not the lies that Satan would have me believe.
I could use some uplifiting!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
I first heard of Proverbs31 Mnistries when I saw Lysa speak at a women’s conference in Kansas City. I have read and enjoyed Lysa’s books and Lysa and Renee’s blogs. I would love love LOVE to read the book.
Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!
Clearly, subtlety is my strong suit. 😉
Seriously, I pray that the Lord blesses your ministry and it continues for years to come. You have truly blessed me.
Thank you!
It’s been a rough time here for the past month or so, where one thing after another bears down on me and my family, to the point the we do feel defeated. Thank you for your post today; it came to me at the right time when I needed it most. I really hope to get a chance to read A Confident Heart soon.
I think we all feel like this sometimes. Thank you for the wonderful printable verses. Your blog is wonderful!
I’ve been fighting the not good enoughs lately. It’s a constant challenge to keep my thoughts focused on God and not on what I “think” others may or may not think of me. It’s been a rough few months with my health and that leaves me isolated and alone with my thoughts. Dangerous if I let it be.