Mistaken Identity
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Welcome readers of my Proverbs 31 devotion today called Mistaken Identity. If you haven’t read it yet, catch up with the rest of us by clicking here.
As promised, here is an interview with my good friend and ministry partner at Proverbs 31 Renee Swope on the topic of knowing who {and whose!} we are. And she is offering a generous giveaway too!
Karen: Renee, have you ever suffered from “mistaken identity” spiritually?
Renee: Yes, I lived with a mistaken identity for over 25 years. And sometimes it still happens. Slowly, I’ll slip into a place of believing my identity is based on what I do or what I have or what others think of me.
Renee: I know it’s happening when I start to feel empty. I’ll start doubting my worth or feeling uncertain in my roles or in my purpose as a woman, mom, wife, friend, daughter… you name it. That sense of not being satisfied and feeling lost inside my own thoughts – that is how I know. I’d love to share a short video with your readers today based on something I wrote about in my book, A Confident Heart. In it I share a powerful way I have learned to identify my lost identity, fill my emptiness and let Jesus help me “log out” of the lies and “login” to His promises.
Click the arrow below to watch Renee’s short but very powerful message.
{If you’re reading this via email, click here to return to my blog to watch Renee’s short message and enter to win A Confident Heart Book & Gift Bundle}
Download Renee’s “Message Notes” in a PDF format here or in a MSWord doc here, if you’d like to.
Renee Swope is a national speaker and author of the best-selling book, A Confident Heart,. She co-hosts Proverbs 31 Ministries’ radio show with Lysa TerKeurst and serves part-time as Executive Director of Radio & Social Media. But her favorite titles are wife to J.J and mom to her Joshua (18), Andrew (15) and her 4 yr old Aster, who they adopted from Ethiopia. Connect with Renee on Twitter @reneeswope, www.facebook.com/renee.swope and www.ReneeSwope.com
ENTER TO WIN: Renee is giving away 3 Confident Heart bundles that include a copy of her best-selling book, A Confident Heart, her new DVD series {coming Sept 2013} and her upcoming 60-day devotional {coming Nov 2013} .
Click “comments” below and share your thoughts about Renee’s video message or my devotion, and one thing you can apply to help you live in your true identity as a woman – and as a child of God!
This is a great book and I would love to do a study with ladies at church and even have the devotional for the daily help :)
This was a wonderful blessing today to listen to the short clip video about “Mistaken Identity”. A reminder of who we are in Christ and not to listen or believe the lies of Satan. I am going to put two vases in view where I can see them and others can also: one vase of the many items that I have often thought would fill the void and one vase filled with water representing the “Living Water, the Holy Spirit” , who quenches my thirst. This will be a visual to me and a special way to share God’s grace with my friends. I want to always remember to trust in the Giver, not in the gifts, praise His Name. (Chapter One of Ephesians) Would like to win The Confident Heart Bundle to read and share with other women. Thanks for your encouragement.
Wow….it’s been a little over a year since I did the online study of A Confident Heart with Renee. It changed my life! I often thought how great it would be for me to do the study with other women either one on one or in a group. It would be a blessing to win this and share it with others!
Wow….. This is definitely something that I need in my life!! I have struggle for a long time with trying to fill a void in my heart. There are so many dreams and goals i have in life, but I lack the confidence. This message really spoke to me, I think with this bundle it will help me build the confidence and love I long for, and then I will be able to live the life God has planned for me with a strong and confident heart and mind!
Thank you for sharing!!!
WOW! We all to some point or another struggle with you we are… Your words are so inspiring.. Thank you for helping on our journey to find our true selves…
Such an important message to learn and share… it really spoke to me… I’ve always searched for that “Something” …being raised by my Father as my Mother didn’t want me…. I’m just so thankful that my Earthly father pointed me toward JESUS and continues to do so… and that my Heavenly Father is continuing the good work HE has begun within me … I’m learning to lean on HIM to fill those empty places.
Loved your devotional! I plan on printing it out and reading it frequently to help me remember.
Love The Confident heart and want to share it with my daughters
Thanks for the inspiring message
Wonderful messages! First thing in the morning you should check and follow God’s timeline and posts, messages etc. before doing anything else!
Thank you so much for writing this book. It is so easy to look to so many other things for the unconditional love we all desire when there is only one who is capable of that kind of love – God. He will not disappoint or leave us. I am looking forward to reading this book as I long to be the confident woman God has created me to be.
To be 61 and still struggle with who I am and to hear over and over it is not me …it is others that cause the unsettled ness… is still a challenge to here Renee make it all so clear is amazing…very powerful
I have struggled with this a lot in the past, but this past 2 weeks felt like maybe I was gaining ground.
Our youngest daughter had hip surgery and is in a hip spyca cast and on my birthday many ladies from our church sent such kind cards encouraging me. Part of me felt like a fraud knowing the kind things they said were not completely true, that I had black and sin still in me, but knowing this and knowing their intent and knowing that God was indeed working in this area I was able to accept their encouragement and not feel like a liar. Instead I felt like I had a cheering section.
When I rise super early or finally stop for the day And I read one of your stories or devotions Unbelievably it seems to be written just for or to me. Always speaks to my spirit & my heart. Thank you.
I’m been waiting for this to help me finding my true identity in God’s eye & my tue purpose in life. Hoping that you will help me pray for this desire of my heart. Thank you very much for inspiring words. God bless.
I loved the devotion and Renee’s video. I struggle with this a lot and I have a 14 year old daughter. I want her to be herself and to know and understand that God lovers HER. I loved the visual that Renee did in the video, which shows what we need to do and TRUST in God because he is what we need. Thank you so much!!!
I attended your facebook ‘meet and greet’ back in April and was part of the initial set up of our online group centered around your book. Your statements absolutely hit the point with me. I had a problem for so long focusing on what was missing and trying to fill the void with tangible things, etc. My biggest stumbling block was wanting to be married and find my “Mr. Right” but I finally realized that that wasn’t what would complete me. :) I have your book but would LOVE the DVD and Devotional!!
Finding my true identity not only in God but as my own person has taken 46years and its still a continuing journey.
My mothers twin sister died a couple of months before my birth. The name my mother chose for me was discarded and I was given
My aunts name. My mother believed I was the reincarnation of her twin.
Up until I gave my heart to Jesus I lived the life of my aunt. Directed by my mother to attend the same camps, study the same subjects in school, play the same musical instruments & sports as my aunt. You get the drift….
God has done some amazing work in me the last 25 years and I believe he will continue to do so.
Completing Renee’s online study this year was a breaking point for me. Emotionally it took my to rock bottom.
The best place ever for God to begin healing. I am now finding others in my church suffering emotionally are approaching me asking how did I change my thought processes. It still continues but I have shared Renee’s book with them.
I would love this bundle so I could share with these ladies a little faster. God is doing amazing things around the word through your book. Even here at the bottom of the world. (NZ). Thank you Renee & thank you Jesus :-)
With tears welling up in my eyes, all I can say is Wow.God. Gwenda, my heart is so moved by your story. Thank you for sharing. Im speechless honestly. What an honor to be a part of what Jesus is doing as He pursues you, redeems you, claims you as HIS own, sets you free and then how He’s equipping you to help others find emotional healing and freedom in Him!! Praying for you tonight.
I am working so hard to focus on God’s truths rather than Satan’s lies…..
Love this much needed book. Would love to win!
I loved your devotional from today and reposted it to my prayer group on FB and had all positive feedback as well. Too often we allow Satan to remind of who we were but spinning it to say it’s who we are and we become defeated. We forget we are forgiven and we forget God gave us a new name. I love the Matthew West song Hello my name Is. Good reminders that we are children of the King and we no longer have to be burdened by past mistakes that Christ took care of at the cross. No more mistaken identity! I am a child of the King.
Thank you Renee. I have struggled for many years with my mistakedn identity as I tried to provide for my kids as a single mother. The enemy was constatnly beating me that I am not good emough, cannot provide enough, etc. Since then I am learning who I am in Christ and working day by day ( actually every minute to win the battlefield of my mind agains the enemy.
Thnks again.
I’ve been in counseling for a year now and the one thing that it comes down to with me is acceptance that I really am who God says I am…accepting HIs love for me. It’s a huge struggle but I’m muddling my through this so I can be set free and truly know and accept the Truth of who I am in Christ. :) This looks like a great bundle.
I have been feeling beaten up lately by my tendency to procrastinate. Although the final outcome came out fine on a recent project, all I could hear were teammates words, meant to be teasing, about my procrastination. And then my head would take over, leading me to thoughts of not being good enough to handle this project and how someone else could obviously do it better than me. The one thing I will strive to apply when situations like this arise in the future is stopping the negative self-talk and asking myself “What is God’s truth?”. The answer in this case is that He called me to this position that I am in and has equipped me in certain ways to handle the tasks presented. He’s also giving me tasks along that way to help me grow to handle things only He knows about in my future. THAT is God’s truth – I am called. I am equipped. And God’s work with me is not complete. And those truths bring me peace.
Thank you Renee for writing this book. I am looking forward to having the devotional and DVD.
Your book is easy to read and understand. More importantly to apply.
I have always struggled with confidence and a healthy self image.
Your videos are most helpful and encouraging. Thank you for sharing much about yourself.
I appreciate you being genuine and real. God bless you.
I think we all need to be reminded not to believe the lies. It is proven that we believe more of what we say about ourselves than what others say. We need to meditate on the Word daily about who we are in Christ. Each day renewing our minds to think like Christ. The more we meditate, the better off we will be. When our mind starts to put ourselves down, the meditation will jump into our minds and put ourselves straight again. Praise God that I am His!!