The Voice in Your Head that Says, "You are not enough..."

Have you ever heard that voice in your head saying, "You aren't doing enough." or "You should be doing more." or  "IF you were more ____, you'd be better."?

Just being real - I've definitely dealt with these thoughts A LOT.  I am super hard on myself and often beat myself up.   In fact a few months ago, these thoughts were consuming me and completely discouraging me to the point that I was filled with anxiety about it.  I felt I was letting God down, that maybe He was even disappointed in me.  Finally, I voiced these thoughts to my husband. Through him, God spoke to me and I had a MAJOR turning point.  My husband told me that he had been listening to a podcast sermon and the pastor had said the following:

When GOD speaks, He gives loving specifics.  When the Enemy speaks, He is discouragingly vague.

Whoa.  It hit me like a ton of bricks as I listened and considered what my hubby had shared.  Was this true?  Were the thoughts in my head specific?  Or were they vague?  Was I listening and believing the wrong voice?  And as I considered it, I realized - wow, it's soooooo true! GOD - he speaks to us with specifics and he speaks to move us toward a direction of healing and freedom.  The thoughts I was having were definitely not specific and definitely not helpful, and definitely were causing me anxiety, not freedom. Those thoughts were not from God.

I always want to be “real” and bring God’s word into every day, real-life situations.  Let me give you some REAL LIFE EXAMPLES of the "voices in our heads" that we hear and want to discern WHO is speaking.

Real Life Examples of how God might speak in specifics:

- I (meaning God) want you to be more patient with your husband.  When he asks for forgiveness, remember how I've forgiven you and then, forgive him.

- The woman across the street needs a friend.  Go talk with her (I've personally felt God tell me to make a specific baked good and take it to my neighbors.  But that is "me" and God knows that baking is natural to me and something I'm good at.  For someone else, the specific may be different!).

- Tell your husband that you're proud of him today.  Let him know that you are thankful for his faithfulness to you and your family.  (See how specific God is?!?  So cool!)

- Recently, my sister, Erica, texted me a Bible verse out of the blue.  She was responding to God's specific voice that she felt in her heart.  The verse was exactly something I needed to hear (it was about having courage...and I needed it for a specific situation going on at the time).  

Real Life Examples of how Satan might speak in vague-ness: - You need to do more for your husband. You need to do more for your family.  You need to be more for them.  You need to make more for them.  You need to provide more, you need to.......Ah!  (No SPECIFICS as to what exactly you need "to do"...just guilt.)

- Look at all you have as a Christian - why aren't you doing more?  Why aren't you further in your faith?  Why do you keep messing up?  You call yourself a Christian?  You should be doing more!  If you were a real Christian, you would. None of these words are guiding toward a specific change.  They're discouraging because you want to be/do more, but you don't know what or how! Do you see how the specifics in the first examples are true to God's character - loving, slow to anger (patient), etc.?  They point us to what specifically we should do NOW.  His words give us hope and direction, not discouragement and stress.  His words bring us freedom.  His words bring positive change from a loving Father.

What a break through!  Does this resonate with any of you?  I hope my break-through can encourage some of you and help us to recognize when our thoughts are from God, and when they're not!

Xoxo,

Allison

Thank you, God, for your unending love and patience with me.  You never grow weary of me.  You never get plain tired of me and the dumb things I do.  You graciously and specifically point me to the right path.   You make me new.  You pull me UP and give me hope.  Thank you.

"The LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." Exodus 34:6