Mar
02
p.s. (pre-script) Don’t forget to enter your favorite missions organization in the Worlds Apart give-away! FIVE people will win a copy of Worlds Apart and $20 for their favorite missions organization. If you haven’t checked out some of the amazing organizations in the comments, do it! You’ll be blessed!
Anybody else reading Beth Moore’s new book So Long, Insecurity? It’s some good stuff, let me tell you. I can always gauge how much I got out of a non-fiction read by how purple it is when I’m done marking it all up with my Pentel RSVP Fine Point (well, except for library books). And this one’s a hot mess of vi-o-let.
Not only is she stepping on my toes, she’s kicking me in the shins. And I’m allowing it, because I know Beth loves Jesus like mad and wants all of us to love Him too.
HOWEVER, the devil is also kicking me in the shins. And I’m not too keen on putting up with it from him. Now, I know there’s much debate within Christian circles about “how much to blame on the devil.” I’m not denying my own sinful nature. I’m not blaming Satan for my sinfulness. He can’t MAKE me do anything.
He can, however, whisper lies in my ear and remind me of bitter/jealous feelings I thought I’d gotten rid of.
He can tell me that I’m ugly and that no one likes me and that by the end of March all of my books will be out of print. (I’m exaggerating here.)
He can mess with my beautiful friends who go to church with me. He can tell one of them that another one is judging her. He can tell one of them that she’s not important enough to be included. He can tell one of them that she’ll never measure up to the others. He can tell one of them that she’s the only one that’s not cute and tiny.
Jerk.
I’m preparing to speak at a women’s retreat in New Jersey this weekend (I’ll be gone Thursday to Sunday–please pray for my darling husband.) on this exact kind of thing. I’ve done these talks before, but God is adding lots of new stuff He wants me to say, and some of it isn’t easy, because it’s awfully personal.
The 3 sessions are: Replacing Comparison with Confidence, Replacing Criticism with Compassion, and Replacing Competition with Contentment. All of them deal with how we relate to other women, and it’s stuff we all struggle with to some degree, regardless of our spiritual maturity level.
I’d love it if you’d pray for me as I speak to these sweet women–and for them as God prepares their hearts for what He has to say through me. Thank you!
Anybody else struggling with insecurity this week?
I am!
I was just journaling today in my “Believing God” workbook about playing the comparison game. I always feel like I’m never good enough or doing enough for God. That God is kinda or sometimes pleased with me, but never fully pleased with me. But He doesn’t compare me to others. I may not give as much as her or pray as much as so-and-so or volunteer or work as hard as that girl. God just wants all of me. He wants my heart and for me to walk with Him everyday. I have my own opportunities, gifts, abilities, responsibilities, etc. I’m not there yet, but I’m praying that the truth will sink in and I will realize that I have God’s approval.
Whoops! I forgot to take my city and state off my name!
This week? It’s more like every day! Sometimes I even cancel plans with girlfriends because of insecurity. Does anyone else do that? Sad. I think I need to get Beth’s book…
Yup, lots of the time. Gets better, gets worse, but in the end, I’m always glad I have my faith. Don’t know what I’d do without that to lean on.
only every day…..
I’m reading it! And I’m soooooooooooo glad I’m not the only one that is TERRIBLY insecure. I’m on Ch. 5 and am looking forward to some practical steps to break out of this, although I’ve found it very helpful to understand *where* my insecurity is coming from. In reading this book, I feel like I’ve opened up a whole new *bag* in my set of the proverbial *baggage*.
I just picked up Beth’s book this weekend and it is INCREDIBLE and definitely marked up with my yellow highlighter
I struggle with feeling “not good enough” for the ministry opportunities presented to me. I want to kick the devil in the shins!!
Dude, you and I both know how satan has attacked me this last week.
And I am so enjoying Beth’s book. So glad I decided to join the book study group. Like you said, she is the real deal.
And I’m beyond thrilled for those women who get to hear from you this weekend. Praying that God uses you to speak HIS TRUTH into each of them. Praying against satan’s attacks as you prepare for the weekend.
good luck this weekend! wish i could come listen. i’ve been putting off getting beth’s new book but i think i need to now!
Every time I get ready to speak I have to pull on some heavy duty protection…since we all know you don’t talk about things you don’t want to get tested on right? I always say I won’t be speaking on marriage EVER
) Know what I’m sayin’?
I’ll be praying for you this weekend. I love how our Father meets us and completely blows our expectations out of the water. Can’t wait to hear all about it. Will anyone be taping it?
As far as the insecurity. I’m behind in the book, and I didn’t realize how much I struggled with insecurity until I got that book in my hot little hands…and you’re right…we chose what we want to believe, but the enemy is awfully convincing. I wish I could just kick him in the face….that’s all I have to say about THAT!
When you go to a small college, and its Ring by Spring…and you know you’re not getting one ~ YES! I do!
I am also reading the book…….I think it’s levitated a couple of times to hit me upside the head. It’s powerful, good stuff.
It wasn’t that long ago that I was at an event where I felt so incredibly insecure I was miserable. Absolutely wished I had never even gone. Fast forward to present day where I am planning an event at our church and you better believe that I am praying against insecurity in the room that night. Amazing how God can give you a quick reminder to beef up our prayer life and make us more authentic.
I am only in chapter 3 and can already see that I have a lot of work to do in my life! I need to get me a purple pen and get to work! Will be praying for you this weekend! It’s going to be an amazing time for those women.
I ditto Lisa, I’m lucky if I go a day WITHOUT insecurity. I think it’s a pride and perfectionist issue.
I just have a second but I wanted to say…I am reading Beth’s book too. I will be praying for you throught out the day today.
When I feel like I am being kicked in the butt…(excuse me) I know it is a time when God really wants me to hear…It is like I am a big sponge…sitting in a sink full of water…happy and content…but a little stinky….and God just picks me up and begins to squish and squeeze because He wants all of that access unneeded stuff out of me…and it kind of hurts and feels uncomfortable…the flesh part of me wants Him to just set me back down in the sink and let me be, but the surrendered part of me knows that I need to let all of that go…and just let God clean me out and show me whose I am….
Okay I am not rereading this…and i have no idea if i made sense or spelled things right…I just told my kids we must be ready to leave on time and I am not even dressed!
Love..and blessings..and prayers…Teresa
This book is doing a # on me as well! here is my response to the first few chapters:
http://idontbelieveingrammar.blogspot.com/2010/02/big-hair.html
Satans a loser….literally
I so wish you could podcast your talks and share with those of us on the outside…
I would LOVE to hear these!
Right there with you girlfriend- had a few days where everything was conspiring to make sure that I KNEW God loved everyone else more than me…
I would love to hear/read your talks on these three sessions. About 5 years ago I chaperoned at a church camp for young kids. One night, one of the teenage camp counselors lead the chaperones in Bible study. I remember sitting there and as she began to speak, I felt like she had jabbed me right in the gut. She took a hammer and a pencil and asked for volunteers to have someone measure the length and width of the room we were in. Of course we all looked at her like she was crazy. Then she proceeded to tell us that it would be very difficult to measure a room with a hammer and a pencil…neither tool is made for measuring. Its the same way with our lives. We can’t “measure” our life based on someone else’s life….there’s no comparison.
It was a valuable lesson that I will never forget.
Um only daily. I live my life in insecurity…seriously. I hate my body and I am constantly insecure. I think that’s one reason satan is so darn good at making my compare myself to others..All. The. Time.
Grrrr!
Have a safe trip! P.S. Check out my blog I’m about to write, I think you will appreciate it!
Great object lesson, Deanna! And awesome posts, Michelle and Denise!
Thanks for the help and encouragement, friends!
First of all, I knew you WOULD LOVE my post I did. It’s so funny, the song is OBVIOUSLY not talking about God, but holy cow, it just hit me. I mean, seriously…it describes how I live my life for sure. I hope that it works well this weekend for you! Feel free to share my blog if you want to and if not, no biggie, figured I’d let you know you’re allowed to use my name and stuff…
I struggle with this topic frequently and finding myself a bit outta sorts with my new business… I am doing well, but keep getting that whisper that it isn’t good enough and I am not good enough…I’m too big and who wants to listen to me anyway….? Well, guess what?! I’m not going to claim that! I am claiming that I am doing the work of God as an educator! I will be successful, because this is what God has put on my heart to do…it can only be blessed! Shut up Satan!!!
Marla, I struggle with the comparison thing constantly. I’m praying for you this weekend. Hope you and God have a fab weekend. Bethany
I am loving your blog my friend. I had to have a “repeat mammogram” this week and I got the good news today that all is well – but it sort of set me back a bit – fear and insecurity tried to raise their ugly heads – but God’s Word and His peace prevailed.
I so wish I could send you a picture of my giraffes that have intertwined necks. I bought it in South Africa this past August while there on a mission trip that rocked my world. The giraffes were my favorite too – we saw them in the WILD and I was ecstatic!
Take care – be blessed. I’m speaking at a ladies event this weekend myself and I will pray for your retreat as you share with the ladies. I am sharing with them on REST and priorities.
GA Jan
Yeah…I’m sure I’ll be purchasing it sometime soon. Every time I think I’ve conquered this, another layer of the onion peels away. At least that’s progress.
Where are you going in NJ for the conference? Funny that you’ll be in New Jersey and I’ll be in Ohio
[...] pleasantly surprised by what I discover. Something I wrote in 1999 that fits perfectly with a talk I’m giving in 2010. Something I recorded in 2002 that I can slip neatly into my current book [...]