Good-bye Self Doubt!

Those who know me may see a woman filled with self confidence...but behind that mask is a scared kid full of self doubt. That little voice that whispers, "You're nothing. Why would anyone care about what you have to share. They won't like you." The thing that surprises me every time, however, is how God ministers to my doubt with His perfect timing!

After much encouragement from friends I submitted my first article, sure it wasn't good enough, but with a tiny glimmer of hope that maybe my friends were right. Maybe I was an okay writer. It was accepted for publication. God knew if it had been rejected, I would have never submitted another thing, but buoyed by that success, I continued writing for publication. Good-bye self-doubt.

In 2009, after a writers conference I decided to stop writing for a while. I wrote this post, explaining that I was tired of rejections, and felt like there were so many better writers. But the day before I posted it, I got an contract for a piece that the editor had already rejected! It had already been rejected! But God...he knew I wasn't going to keep writing, so he encouraged me that my writing is His plan. Good-bye self doubt.

Yesterday was a self doubt day for my speaking. While my She Speaks conference was excellent, all those self doubts came back. There are better speakers, I don't want to risk rejection, why did I agree to do a women's retreat?!?! And so yesterday, I told a friend that I might stop speaking after I do the women's retreat in October. Self doubt.

My mouth said, "I don't want to speak again." My heart said, "Why would anyone want to listen to me? I have nothing to share. What if they don't like me? I can't do it."

And this morning, in my email inbox was a request to speak at a women's event. No self-promotion or seeking on my part, just God whispering to my heart, "You have something to say, I believe in you. Share My Word." Good-bye self doubt.

Why doubts are plaguing you today? Why not turn them over to God. He can turn your self doubt into God confidence! Then you too can say, "Good-bye Self Doubt!"

I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 (CEV)

Sticky Messages

Several folks have asked me to elaborate on "sticky messages," which I posted last week was my favorite topic at She Speaks. I wasn't sure if I could, because each page of our manual clearly states it is COPY PROTECTED material, and belongs to P31.

But YAY for us, because the woman who taught the class, Lysa TerKeurst is blogging about it today and tomorrow. So head on over there and read what a sticky message is and how to appy it to your speaking.

http://lysaterkeurst.com/2011/08/sticky-messages/

Being Small for Jesus

Have you ever thought "I want to be BIG for Jesus!" I must admit, I have! I want to write books, and speak to conferences and be BIG for Jesus. But what if Jesus is calling me to be small?

At the recent conference I attended, they put on a great skit. The woman in the skit received a gift from Jesus, a mini-coke. She loved her gift, until she saw her friend had received a 12 oz coke. She begged Jesus to also have the 12 oz coke. "But I picked your gift especially for you, because I love you." Jesus told her. She still wanted the 12 oz coke. Then another friend came by with a 20 oz coke. Now she was really mad at Jesus!

At that point Jesus gave her a 12 oz coke, "just like you asked me for, because I love you." But now the 12 oz wasn't enough, and again she was discontent. And the look on her face when the woman with 2 liter coke came on stage? Priceless!

What if God is calling me to be a mini-coke? What if my blog, and my devotional additions to compilation books are what he is calling me for? What if speaking to 50 ladies is all he wants from me?

In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells about the seeds that fall on the fertile soil. "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matt 13:23)

Notice that all the good soil did not produce the same crops. While all the seeds were on good soil, some groups produced a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. What if God is only calling me to a crop yield of 30?

Can I be happy with that? Can I be content? Am I willing to be small for Jesus, if that is what he is calling me to do?

What is Jesus calling you to be? And even if it small, or you willing to do it? We must, if we are to ever find contentment. So I keep spreading the seeds, as he has called me to do. And the crop, well I won't know that until it grows. But may I praise him for it, no matter what the bounty is.