I know you sometimes feel ordinary but you’re not.
You are one of a kind ~ a unique and beautiful blend of all God wants you to be.
You may feel invisible … like you’re just one of millions of others.
But there’s no comparison. God sees you friend.
And when God sees you, He sees someone He loves.
Listen as He whispers…”You are precious and honored in my sight …. and I love you.” Is 43:4
He also sees someone He knows.
“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.” Ps 139:1
Since God knows you, has a purpose for you and loves the way He made you, I’m confident He wants you to feel the same way. Watch, listen and let Him sing these truths over your heart today. {And if you’re reading this in email, click here to watch it online.}
You really are…
Beautiful
Loved
Cherished
Chosen
Treasured
Sacred
You are His!
May God’s sweet affirmations replace all those comparisons. As you identify, understand and embrace who HE created you to be, I’m praying that like the psalmist, you can learn to say with confidence, “Lord, You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:13-14)
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Want to find out more about who God created you to be?
Here’s a link to a FREE Spiritual Gifts Assessment to see what your gifts are!
It’s FREE for everyone!
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Today’s GiveAway: I’m giving away 5 copies of the personality assessment that I talk about in my book A Confident Heart, In chapter 8, I share an in-depth section about personalities and how our unique traits play a key role in our God-given purpose. Today’s giveaway is called Wired That Way Personality Profile and includes a time-tested profile with definitions, instructions to eliminate confusion, a detailed explanation of your scores, and a handy team-building chart that shows how the different Personalities interact.
Enter to win: Share a little bit about what God is speaking to your heart or showing you today through my P31 devotion, this blog post and/or music video. Can’t want to hear from your heart. Simply click “share your thoughts” below. {And if you’re reading this in email, click here.}
Read my Encouragement for Today devotion The Comparison Trap.
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Sometimes I feel so forgotten and invisible. Like I’m going through difficult times and everyone else is getting helped except me. I try really hard to remember that God still loves me and sees me as important, but the longer I struggle, the more alone I feel. Is. 43:4 of course strikes a chord…those beautiful verses are the ones I hold close.
Although I read your Proverbs 31 Devotion today, this message adapted for A Confident Heart really resonated with me. Tears stung my eyes as I looked at that red rose in the sea of yellow ones. That is exactly how I feel sometimes but not in a special way. God spoke to my heart to tell me that I am special and He does see me. Even if I feel that I blend in and don’t stand out in the crowd; even with 3 billion people around me, God still sees me and He knows me and He is pleased with how I have made an effort to seek Him with all of my heart. How that warmed my heart and still overwhelms me as I type this message. God is such an awesome God! Although He has millions of galaxies to look over, He sees and knows me here on earth and loves me as if I was the only one that existed. Our God is an awesome God; there is none like Him. I’m so glad I know Him and serve Him. Today my spirit lept and I feel stronger and more confident in God. Blessings to you Renee for being willing to be used to facilitate my growth. Praise be to God!!
Since starting this online study I have been dealing with who I am and how God sees me. On last year I had someone I love dearly to tell me some hurtful things about how they felt about me. I was devastated. this persons words were hurtful and cut me like a knife. I couldn’t believe my own family member would treat me like that. I have since forgiven her but for a while I was in a state depression eventhough I knew what enemy said was a lie. I began to go to my word and quote scriptures on who God said I was. I would put them on my facebook page so I could go back and read them.
Oh how He loves us. What a wonderful place I am in on today. God sees everything he even touches those hurting places that we think have been hidden.
This online study and your book is just confirmation for me on the great love God has for us. Nothing can take away from the His word but the Confident Heart has truly been a blessing to read!
I am a 43 year old recently divorced mother of two teens (The Giants) who has learned the healing power of God’s word. After a 14 year marriage to my college sweetheart we both knew it was not meant for us. During our stint, he fell in and out of love with God and with me too. I honestly thought there was something I needed to do or become in order for our marriage to work. Boy was I wrong! I now know that not only was I a good wife but also a godly wife thanx be to God! God’s word would always convict me about my language, my attitude, my friendships, my devotion to my husband, etc. I thought I wasn’t good enough for him at one point. But, God, in His infinite love for me helped me to see how He would “give men in exchange for me”, “never leave me,”and be “my husband!” How could I not fall in love with Him all over again? He continues to lavish me with His love, wisdom, and faithfulness. I am so glad that He chose me to be His girl and to bring others to Him. He truly is a wonder.
These are the words that I needed to hear, though they are hard for me to take in. I am 32 and living a life that I am not passionate about. I feel like noone cares that I exist except if it is helping them. I know God loves me just as I am but I want to know why I’m here-what my reason is. That is what I am struggling with today.
LOVED the P31 devotion today… such a timely word for me. I especially loved this statement – because it reminded me again that I do not need to attempt to be like anyone else!!
“The only way we’ll break free from the comparison trap is by embracing who we are instead of trying to be who we are not.”
Dear Renee ~
Thank you sooooo much for posting this video today. I needed this reminder. Let me tell you a beautiful little story. Last year something very difficult happened in my family. However, as God uses all things for our good, my family was forever changed by the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father. My dad was greatly changed. He has always loved the Lord and his family, but he is the quiet type. I have always known of his love for me through his actions, but not so much through his words. Last summer he called me out of the blue and held up his cell phone to the radio as this very song you shared today was playing. After it was done, he told me that when it came on he thought of me. He said he knew he hadn’t done a great job of telling me that often and that he loved me. Oh, how the tears flowed……..
Thank you for reminding me of that very special moment again today. I love that my Heavenly Father and my earthy father are both singing this over me. I am soooooo blessed!!!!! 🙂
Be BLESSED today ~
Jennifer
Jennifer- awww..that is so touching and beautiful. Love it!
Definitely need this today. Been a rough couple weeks: almost lost my stepdad, hit with realization that my Granddad who died in March died after 5 weeks in the hospital & now my Dad has been in the hospital for 4 1/2 weeks; frustrations with doctor’s office as well as circumstances that have made the pain much worse, making me even more isolated than usual; not sleeping which makes everything worse…. If had to pick one thing (devotion, post, video) would be the video. Love this song & perfect timing. First time through watched & listened to it, & then kept playing it while reading through the other posts.
Today’s blog post…I am loved…chosen. Just reading those words brought tears to my eyes. I’ve been struggling with accepting who I am for so very long. Just nice to hear it…now its up to me to believe it.
Renee – thank you soooo much for the video link to Mercy Me’s “You are Beautiful”
That is very powerful – an so wonderful to ponder!
I find myself comparing who I am to others all the time! I want to be happy with who I am but when I see other women who are skinnier and prettier than me, it is hard. I do not know how to be happy with who I am. I know I am a good person on the inside but it is my outside that I have most of the issues with. I know God loves me just the way I am so why can’t I love me just the way I am? I struggle with this msot days.
I really enjoy reading your emails and appreciate your dedication to encouragement to women on finding our security in God. Your words have been very beneficial to me. I really enjoyed the study A Confident Heart.
Beautiful. One of my favorite songs. I have four daughters and it is my dream that they all know how treasured they are, how beautiful, how much He loves them. How worthy they are of being loved. It is my prayer that in any area where I have failed to teach this lesson, God’s Spirit of love and grace will prevail.
My oldest are 19 and 20 and now I look back and see so many things I could have done differently. But, this chapter had me really looking at my personality, talents, and spiritual gifts. Perhaps I did just what was needed, just what I was able to do, to help shape them into who He wants them to be. Praise God that He loves them even more than I do. And it’s awesome to know that He loves me with that very same love!
We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10, NLT I love to think that I’m God’s masterpiece! I never thought of it this way. I like what Renee’s friend said, “Every time we compare ourselves with someone else, we can never measure up because we’re comparing our insides with their outsides.” It’s like comparing apples to oranges.. they just don’t compare because they are totally different and so are we totally different, created to be unique.
I look forward to your words each day, I have been struggling with accepting that I am anything but a failure lately, I know it is the enemy, but is gets tough some times…I have been divorced for 20 years and I have a blessing of a son, but he is 5 hours away and the solitude has been tough lately!
But I just keep drawing close to Him and remembering His promises…
I know God has a plan, I just want Him to hurry! LOL!
Rita,
Your post really touched me. I cant imagine all you went thru as a child. God is good
tho since you now know the truth that you are loved and are here for a purpose that
only you can accomplish! My heart goes out to you, pls accept my hug today for your
painful past…
I am learning to accept that God has a plan specifically for me and it is probably not going to follow what I think my plan should be. We are experiencing some trials and tribulations right now in our family and God is showing me that He can use even these things to build me up and prepare me for His future plans for me. Even when I feel like things are at their worst, God is turning what Satan intended for evil into something wonderful. I just have to have faith, believe in God’s grace and mercy and wait to see what He will unfold in my future.
I am a 27y/o stay at home mom of two pre-schoolers. All my life I have always compaired myself to everyone else trying to figure out why I dont measure up, why other’s dont like me. I still compair myself to every mom/woman I think are better than me or who seem to have it all figured out. It is a tremendous struggle to not let it “get” to me, and it has caused many arguments w/ the Hubby. And for the past 3 1/2 years I have been struggling w/ sever depression. I was actually doing really well for the last several months up until receintly. It really feels like every dream or goal my hubby and I have talked about is coming true for everyone else. I cant help but to cry. These same people I trusted and confided in, belittled me and told me my ideas were horrible, then later they do exactly what I said to them! (i.e. I want to home school. She said it was a horrible idea and not good for my kids. But now she is homeschooling. ..the list could go on) I pray everyday to stop being like this bc I really dont like who I’ve become. And Thanks to your post today, I now have a little spark of hope that I can change and our Heavenly Father will be with me through it all!! Im not the only one who has/had this struggle! Thank you so much Renee!! Your post could have not had better timing =)
I’m a PTSD survivor & am learning to experience victories on top of smaller victories. I still trigger & I have a hard time giving myself grace, but I’m inching my way forward with tenacity. I want to give up often, but God is growing me through the call to continue to reach. He is showing the way that I’m to go. He is making me better than new.
Terri, Keep up the good work. Don’t know your situation or how long ago, but do know you are on the right track. Have come to learn that when things seem to be going good & then have a “flashback” it is so God can heal me at a deeper level. Still struggling & hard to remember this at the time, but God is faithful.
As a little girl, I use to go in the dark corner of the closet and pray that God would let me die so my mother would be happy. My mother repeatedly told me I was a mistake God made …. and she never wanted me. This went on for most of my life until in a very loving, caring bible study group, I discovered the real truth – I am His workmanship and He loves me. Those words have changed my life completely. I now have dates with Him and we talk about so many things. He lets me know how much He cares about me – and how much He loves me over and over. I pray every day that I may help other women find His Love – and hopefully my Mom in heaven knows now how much God loves her and me. Unfortunately she died before I was able to share with her myself but I know God wants me to share this word – love – with everyone so they will also know how much God loves each of them…..and how precious they are to Him. Thank you God for loving me and for allowing me to share with others.