The easiest way to get you to stop pursing your passion, your ministry, is to convince you that it doesn’t really matter.
The voice might sound something like. . .
“I’m sure someone else has already thought of it and would do it better.”
“That’s your dream? It’s not big enough.”
“Everyone else is so successful. Why would your voice, your art matter?”
“It’ll sound ridiculous.”
“What if all the good dreams are taken?”
“What if God’s Kingdom isn’t big enough for your dream plus her’s’?”
Strange and almost comical questions to some, but in your head it seems so real.
Lies can seem like the truth at times. Sometimes you have a tendency to think where one succeeds there’s suddenly less room for you and your future.
And really, quite the opposite is true.
Through Paul, God asks you to “Be honest in your estimate of yourself, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.”
You assume this means to work harder on being humble. That maybe God is trying to point out the pride-log in your eye. But what if God has given you great faith, a large amount that has been pressed down and is overflowing? Yet, you are not honest with yourself and estimate yourself not good enough, strange, or not yet ready.
“Just as your bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all part of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So. . .if God has given you the gift to teach, speak out. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously.
Then. . . Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. . . Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Be glad for all God is planning for you.” {Romans 12:3-12}
And know that you and your art, your business, your writing, your ministry. . . it does matter and it is very important. . . to all of us and the Kingdom.
by Stephanie Bryant, co-founder of (in)courage and now Creative Mastermind at S. Bryant Social Marketing.
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Beautiful, inspiring post!
And let His light shine through us….
All good things!
Yes!
I so needed this! I am up at 3:15 am, couldn’t sleep, and you put your finger on a lie I believed. Thank you, and praise God!
The part about is God’s kingdom big enough for my dream plus hers gave me an immediate picture of the movie Akeelah and the Bee where finally it isn’t about competing to beat the other but together competing to share a win, both running to win the prize (and cheering each other on to do their best). Finally that verse makes sense to me, run in such a way as to win the prize (it always seemed über competitive)! Run (together) in such a way…(in)courage.
Remember Mother Theresa’ “little things (for God) with great faith”?
Hope you can enjoy a nap now, soaking in the Truth.
I think He must have whispered in your ear. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for this encouragement!
Love this post and just read the scripture this morning as part of a bible reading plan! What version is the one you used? I couldn’t find the specific reference and version for the last part about be glad for all god is planning… 🙂
It’s the New Living Translation, Life Application Bible. I love it & how God is using His supreme timing in your life. 🙂
well, i needed that today. so glad i stopped by.
Love this. I have been reading you blog all week, and your posts are so helpful! Thank you!
Thank you! for sharing this. It was exactly what I needed to hear on the exact day I needed to hear it. So glad I found this website. I’ll be back guarranteed!
This was just such a timely post for me as well. Why is it that we read this today, and have this same conversation with ourselves next week and the one after!? Probably because it is an effective weapon of the enemy. And we ‘have need to be reminded’ as Paul says…
Thanks for speaking Truth to me today!
I actually laughed out loud when I read parts of this, because the great deceiver has been trying to get in to my head with some of those questions. Seeing them in black and white made me realize how crazy things get inside my head sometimes. 🙂
THANKS!!!
Yes! So often we can feel like someone will do it better so why bother? Or it was a silly dream anyway… Thank you for your encouragement! This is a huge world! Enough for all of our dreams 🙂
Wonderful words of encouragement! Thank you.
Wow Stephanie!
You hit the nail on the head. I personally feel this one challenge is how the enemy seeks to outwit. Thank you! Very timely, and very needed.
Thank you for the wonderful encouragement. God’s grace and love are so amazing!
Such basic truths, but some of the most difficult to believe. Thank you for the always needed reminder and encouragement. Great way to begin the day!
I also liked your post! And now I am going to be incredibly shallow and ask you about that wonderful picture of the books somehow attached to that strip on the wall. I’m a voracious reader and have been mulling a way to keep all of my books at hand and close to my reading chair! Thanks!
That’s not shallow. Here’s teh link to the photo: http://decorazione.tumblr.com/post/2870990316/decoration I always find wonderful ideas on Pinterest, too. You might look there for fun ways to utilize your books.
I believe the bookshelf is a sticklebook “invisible” bookshelf. in any case, that type of bookshelf would work about the same.
It is so affirming to read this encouraging post along with so many that share the feeling of never being enough. Having a tough time today.
Praying for you, Hope. That you’ll see yourself thru Christ’s eyes. He knows your worth it and has designed wonderful good works for you to do in advance. Just take the next step.
this could not have come on a better day and is a great gift for me to read. thank you so much.
Thank you for this. Just thank you.
Reading through the comments, I can tell that I am not the only one that feels like this is a very timely post.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I feel like I believe the lies of the enemy all the time that what I do doesn’t matter. Whether it is teaching middle schoolers, writing, my art, or loving on my friends. I believe that I don’t matter, that my dreams are just dreams.
For someone to say it out loud that it does matter helps drown out the lies a little bit! Thank you!
Maybe we should say it out loud every day! I think when the enemy is the loudest is when we know that we’re right where God wants us to be. . . with satan’s silence and our thriving in the Kingdom just around the corner. 🙂
I am encouraged. He cares for me. I am important.
I am into thinking of misery the whole day and I just went to our roof deck to check my dog but when I saw the beauty of the dark sky with stars so brightly there… I could not help myself but utter words to God… I prayed and then I felt relieved.
Back to my computer, I clicked my bookmark icon of (in)courage again and this article appeared and I believe that the Holy Spirit invited me to read this.
Thank you once again for sharing a wonderful message. May the good Lord use this website more and may this be a tunnel of His blessings.
Many are lost but few only listens and everyday is always an opportunity to be encouraged and choose to encourage the needy.
God bless us all!
Beautiful! Just the kind of encouragement I needed today 🙂
Thank you … This is just what I needed to hear today.
Thank you. I needed this today.
The Lord just really used you in a big way… this spoke directly to my heart… brought a waterfall of tears. Thank you. Keep listening to the Holy Spirit.
I so love this! I used it on my blog and linked it back to you. Thank you for this!
Thank you Lisa-Jo for prompting me to write this. God is using you, daily.
This was so beautiful and timely! I began my blogging journey last fall and find myself struggling with these very issues at times. Thank you for the reminder to celebrate my God-given talents by using them with joy!
thank you for your words today. They were something I needed to hear. 🙂
So encouraged by this today. Just what I was talking to some fellow believers about earlier. Love those verses. May we keep on sharing the Truth out loud with each other.
I often think like this, and this morning I was affirming to myself that I am an extension of God and what I do is part of His work! Thank you.
Thank you for exposing this lie in my life! I make prayer quilts for people and lately I’ve believed the lie! I’m ready to go back to the sewing machine and start praying and sewing again!
In Christ,
Sue
You are encouraging, Stephanie, very encouraging.
Thank you for posting on (in)courage today.
Which scripture passage is this from:
“Through Paul, God asks you to “Be honest in your estimate of yourself, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.””
Blessings
Patricia
It’s so easy in Blogville, to compare one’s self to others… Those with more readers, more clever reparte and ideas of grandeur. It takes real discipline to remember our own self worth and our personal priorities and all the important qualities we bring to the party.
You have no idea how much I needed this. No idea.
I want to tell you that God used this post you wrote today to touch my life. I was such a grump today again, tired, overwhelmed, burned out, and yet I saw this in my mailbox and realized how strange and wonderful God is to use you; you probably thought you wrote this and hoped someone needs to hear it, but it gets published and it sits out there in the cyberspace and you can’t see the impact. Let me tell you. It’s like God had you write it just for me today. Thank you.
I love this ! Wonderful truth. Thanks for posting, because it’s a reminder we all need.
And….how on EARTH are those books held up on that wall design?? I WANT ONE!!
Wonderful words of wisdom! I was feeling down on myself last month. My new knitting pattern wasn’t selling at all, why? I thought it would sell like hotcakes, and it hasn’t even moved. I was so down, feeling unworthy of my new venture. The Lord works in mysterious ways, I heard him say ‘slow down’ take your time, don’t rush, and enjoy the process” I’ve slowed down and enjoying designing an infinity scarf for my daughter.
I so needed to read this.
Thank you Stephanie.
You are a delight, Stephanie, and your good words here enthusiastically encourage. I’m so thankful for you and the truth you spill in our hearts. LOVE YOU!
Amen Amen & Amen! These words resonate with me. I don’t have a ministry, per se, but the devil can do a number on me and make me believe that “I’m stupid, dumb, not good enough, smart enough, etc” He just moves in quietly, especially through my job.
Working on debunking ALL Satan’s lies and believing & trusting God!
It seems like this is me all the time lately! In everything I do, my mind wanders to those doubts of myself, my actions, my efforts. From the mundane, daily doings of life to the larger things. I love the way you propose that we look at Paul’s words. God gives us great faith in order to do great things. It is true. But so often I let the doubt overcome my faith in His ability to do great things through me.
Thank you, Stephanie. I need to hear this. I have stepped back from engaging in life because I feel like my contributions don’t matter. I don’t like myself this way. Thank you for calling me out of the closet.
That is great encouragement for women of God everywhere Stephanie! The more we can seek God and find the gifts he wants to give us, the greater power the body of Christ holds for helping the world! Go for it!!!
Thanks! I needed that.
Blessings,
Linda
I often find myself struggling with these thoughts.
I am really wanting to persue writing, it’s been a lingering dream of mine forever, but I’ve always intimidated myself out of it.
I don’t have a fancy writing degree like some of those in my family. And if THEY aren’t successful (with writing), HOW could I possibly be?
This is so encouraging! Thanks so much for sharing this. It’s a great reminder and such a common struggle.
Hello Stephanie!
I read your absolutely WONDERFUL posting today about “When You Feel Like It Does Not Matter.” It was such a blessing to me that I decided to put it up on my blog site this afternoon for my friends to read and be encouraged by as well. All of us need encouragement and hope in our lives along this journey called LIFE and you surely gave that to me today through your LIFE GIVING posting. THANK YOU so much!
Thanks Stephanie. Really nice post…it was very helpful to me…
Thank you! This was a very timely read for me as I’ve been struggling with this. I just had a conversation with God last night asking him to reveal His plan for me and to help me listen to it (without my own desires and wants as an influence).
Thanks, I needed that!
Through Paul, God asks you to “Be honest in your estimate of yourself, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.”
But what if God has given you great faith, a large amount that has been pressed down and is overflowing?
I disagree with your statement that God sometimes gives us great faith and your alternate interpretation of that verse. I understand your statement as implication that our faith in God (as referenced in the verse) is a gift from God. Instead I believe God’s gift to us is grace and our gift to God is our faith that has to grow and develop through our relationship with Him. I would appreciate your feedback so that I can understand more clearly what you meant
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I’m glad that I decided to check out this site today. I’ve been thinking and dreaming of things, but have been telling myself that it’s probably all been done before…by people who can do much better work than I. Maybe I should just dive in and see where God takes me.