Have you ever struggled to believe in yourself and your ability? Do you have a dream that you just CAN NOT seem to be able to pursue? Maybe it feels like it’s just not the right time. Maybe it feels like you don’t have the right resources. Shoot, maybe it even feels like you’re just not the right person to fulfill this big dream. Can I let you in on a secret? Chances are DANG good that all of those things are just lies from the enemy. And they come from being more focused on your own ability or inability than you are focused on the faithfulness of the God who called you. Your success in what God has called you to do has much less to do with YOU and your own natural strength and abilities and more to do with Who is calling you and equipping you. 

Struggling to believe in yourself? 7 Things To Remember!

1. Identify the thoughts that are holding you back and recognize where they are coming from

• Thoughts of inadequacy or insecurity are sneaky little things. They come in packages that sound like humility or practicality or “that cool thing is for other people that look/smell /talk different than you. But the thing is, if you and I don’t start to identify and categorize our own thoughts we’ll follow the wrong lead and call it “being humble”.
• John 10:10 is the verse that you and I must filter ALL of our thoughts through. 

“The theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)

John 10:10 AMPC

• When a thought pops into your head, seriously ask, does this thought lead to life- abundant life or towards death, discouragement, destruction, confusion, or lack?

2. Replace the lies that are making you struggle to belive in yourself with truth

• It’s not enough to just recognize that you have some crappy thoughts coming atcha. You have to replace them with God’s thoughts. Jon Acuff calls this changing your soundtrack (not finished with the book yet, but so far I love it)
• Romans 12:2 tells us that we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I don’t know if you are as obsessed with Chip and Joe as we are in this house, but in a renewing, a remodeling, there is a breaking down and a replacing that must occur. Let God’s word be the foundation on which you re-build new thoughts

3. Get serious about figuring out what God says about you to quit struggling to believe in yourself

• Seriously, if there is ONE thing I can encourage you to do in your spiritual walk it would be this: Find out what God says about you and get SO certain of who you are in Christ, that any other identity that tries to attach itself to you just falls off. 
• The book of James talks about using God’s word like our mirror, and I love that. I was talking to a girl at youth once who was having a hard time with her identity and not believing the lies that the enemy threw at her. I gave her this illustration (Holy Spirit inspired) and it has helped me so many times since:
• “If I were to tell you that you have purple skin with green spots would you believe me? (she gave me a weird look) I carried on, “of course you wouldn’t. You’ve spent so much time looking in the mirror over the years, just washing your face, brushing your teeth, and getting ready, that you KNOW what you look like. You KNOW that you have light tan skin, curly brown hair, and beautiful brown eyes. You know this truth about yourself because you’ve spent time looking in the physical mirror. We’ve got to let God’s Word be that mirror for our spirit. 

Struggling to believe in yourself? Get God-centered confidence with these Scriptural Affirmations for Confidence.

4. Dig deep into who God has called you to be

• Dig deep into who God has called YOU to be
• I remember just wondering for YEARS what God’s call on my life looked like. Where was He going to have me serve? Would I be in full-time ministry? Maybe I would get to rodeo hard soon? Would I be in business? What kind of business?
• Far too often we get caught up in the “how” and the “what” but what we really need to be focused on is the Whos: Who God is and who He created YOU to be. 
• What are you passionate about? Good at? What do you like doing? What do your friends ask you for help with? What comes super easy to you? The truth is, your gifts are not accidental. Your passions are not random.
• You were purposefully knit together in your mother’s womb with the gifts, talents, passions needed to partner with God in completing your calling. Lean into that. Embrace who He created you to be. Develop your skills, hone your craft. 
• Here are some good personality profiles to get your wheels spinning
  • Clifton Strengths Finder
  • Your Ennegram Coach 

Read: Spiritual Growth Secrets Nobody Talks About

5. Keep the vision in front of your eyes and look at it when you’re struggling to believe in yourself

Where there is no prophetic vision, people cast off restraint…

Proverbs 29:18a ESV

• One translation says “pass to an inferior state” and I think that is so applicable. 
• When you KNOW what you’re called to do, or even the general direction that you need to be moving, keep that vision front and center. Don’t get derailed by all of the good things that are not necessarily God’s things for your life.

6. Just Don’t Quit

• Just don’t quit
• We have a 2 year culture and we need a ten-year mentality. 
• As a MULTI passionate and highly competitive individual, I understand that urge to change directions or quit altogether if you’re not seeing results as quickly as you expected. But here’s the deal. A lot of huge growth and success happens when we just don’t quit. Prov 24:16 says that “though a righteous man falls 7 times” he will rise again. 
• God isn’t asking us to be flash in the pan, one-hit-wonder stories. He’s asking for faithfulness and a lifetime of surrender. 

Speaking of goals… Read more about how to set and achieve your spiritual growth goals

7. Remeber that it’s not just about you and your abilities when you’re struggling to believe in yourself.

• Romans 11:29 says that God gives us our gifts and callings without repentance. He doesn’t change his mind. He doesn’t take them back when we are a knucklehead and misuse them. Nope. His mercies are new every morning. 
• If the grace of God is sufficient to rescue us from hell then the grace of God is sufficient to take our imperfect, human efforts and turn them into something supernatural for His Kingdom. 
• When you and I make it about our own abilities (or lack thereof) we remove grace from the equation and take the glory focus off our Father. 

And if nothing else motivates you to kick insecurity to the curb, please remember this. Someone’s freedom, someone’s breakthrough, someone’s very life may be waiting on the other side of your obedience. Our gifts and our callings are never just about us, they are also about the people that God has for us to bless and serve. Don’t get all hung up on the hows and the whens. Your success in what God has called you to do has much less to do with YOU and your own natural strength and abilities and more to do with Who is calling you and equipping you. You can believe in yourself because you can believe in the One Who called you. He started this, now do your part, lean in, and let Him finish this. 

Pin one of these images to re-read next time you’re feeling discouraged!