Self Doubt

   Self-doubt is something almost everyone deals with at one point. For the past couple months, as I watched myself grow apart from friends instead of moving closer, I examined myself.

​   Did I talk too much? Was I too crazy? Did I talk about myself too much? Did they not talk to me because I wasn’t as good at that particular sport? Was I too selfish? Was I too goofy? Too shy?

    The list can go on and on and on and on. 

   It wasn't that people were saying cruel things to me- it was rather that they didn't say anything to me. Satan just kept whispering to me that I wasn't good enough, that I wasn't nice enough, that I talked wayyy too much.

    Have you heard something like that recently? Well, you just tell Satan right now to get out of your head in the name of Jesus Christ! Please tell someone so they can pray for you. Satan wants you to keep it in. He wants you to feel like there's no one else who can help. Don't let him win. Don't let him deceive you in this. Don't let him make you a slave to self-doubt. You've got to stop him from creating a stronghold in your life- and believe me, it is not fun.

    My mom helped me when I went through this. She gently prodded me when I wanted to keep it in, telling me some of the same things I just wrote to you. When I finally spilled, she prayed for me and helped me see myself through God's eyes once again. As she started naming adjectives of who I really was, I felt the chain of Satan break off; tears were streaming down my face. 

    As much as she supported and encouraged me (thanks, Mom!), the Holy Spirit helped me even more than her. He helped me fight against the devil every single second of the day. He was there for me when I needed Him, because as hard as your mom or dad may try, she's/he's never gonna be there to help you every single moment of your life. The Holy Spirit, however, lives in those who have accepted Christ and know Him as Lord and Savior. He will be with you constantly.

    When you pray every morning, I encourage you to just say, "Holy Spirit, fill me. Guide me in what I do and help me fight the devil and win." It helped me, and it'll help you too.

​   And like I said, many people struggle with self-doubt. But I long for you to fight back and win. You got this, but more importantly, God's got this. Remember, He says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, perfect in His eyes because of what Jesus has done. Whatever they are saying about you, it doesn't matter. It only matters what God says. Only God. Only. With that kind of mindset, self doubt is going to be much less frequent in your life. And don't forget- God is for you. He is not against you.

   If someone is telling you that you're too weird to fit in with the crowd, or too ugly, or too nice, or something like that, don't let it get to you. I would rather be judged by the world and found guilty in their eyes than be judged by the Almighty God and found wanting. Remember, life on earth is only temporary. Eternal life after death is forever. Stay strong, brothers and sisters in Christ. This world desperately needs people who are unafraid to shine Christ's light.

   For those who aren't experiencing self-doubt at the moment, here are three ways you can help those who are: 
 
   1. ENCOURAGE them. Don't flatter, only encourage. Let them know what you admire about them. A close friend of mine was always encouraging me, and though the friend didn't know I was going through self doubt when they said it to me, it helped me tremendously (thanks, friend!).

   2. REMIND them that God loves them. When someone's fighting self doubt, they can forget how much He loves them and how much others love them. 

    3. PRAY for them. Prayer is powerful. If you don't believe me, I have a whole speech I can show you from two years ago. We believe in a big God who cares about us. Your prayers are heard. 

   And maybe you're not sure whether someone is going through self-doubt or not. So, go do these three steps to everyone you know! And listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you. My friend didn't mention whether he was prompted by the Holy Spirit or not, but those words came at the exact moment that I needed them. Coincidence, right? Nope. I believe that there are no coincidences in life. Also, when you speak to your friend, you don't need to be all, "You're experiencing self-doubt, ______, so I want to..." You don't need to tell them what's wrong with them; most people don't like being singled out on weaknesses. If you do that, they may shut out what you are about to say next. Let the Holy Spirit tell them. 

   I hope y'all were encouraged and please do something to fight back or help someone else fight the devil. And be aware of what God may want to teach you through this challenge! Oh, speaking of challenges...here is this week's: Try to remember that whatever others may say abut you, it only matters what God says. Go to your Bible and read all of those beautiful passages about who He says we are. Don't forget to ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. 

   I love y'all, and I don't want anyone else to go through self-doubt and lose to the father of lies (Satan). God loves you and He will never stop loving you. Don't you ever forget that.