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If you don’t know this sweet friend of mine, you need to! Suzie and I have been serving in ministry together at Proverbs 31 for many, many years and we get to serve on the COMPEL Leadership Team at Proverbs 31 as well. Suzie has the sweetest, kindest soul of anyone I know and her faith is an inspiration. The words she writes in her books have changed many lives, including mine.
So today I want you to hear from Suzie herself with a beautiful message she wrote for my readers. She’s also offering an opportunity to win a free copy of her newest book The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith Without Borders, as well as download two free chapters from the book! Read down to the bottom of the post for details.
Coming Out From Behind Our Confidence Crisis, by Suzie EllerÂ
When I was a kid, I imagined I was a superhero. I even knew what my super power would be: I would know what people were thinking. I’d walk past them on the sidewalk or in the store and “boom,” there would be all their thoughts for me to see.
Recently I was scrolling through social media and I realized that I now had that superpower.
There it was. Instant access 24/7 to people’s thoughts.
It’s not near as cool as I thought it would be.
In fact, sometimes it’s pretty discouraging. Debates. Opinions.
Drama, oh so much drama.
And sometimes – this is the hardest part – it was from people who were my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that. As a result, there was something spiritually unhealthy taking place inside of me.
Cynicism.
Though I loved God with all my heart, I was losing faith in humanity.
It was the beginning of a personal confidence crisis.
We all struggle with confidence crises from time to time. Yours may not look like mine. We struggle when a relationship is in a hard place. It’s challenging when we take a huge step of faith and it doesn’t go the way we thought.
Sometimes a confidence crisis can come even when we receive something good. For example, when that dream or goal is finally coming true. It’s exactly what we prayed for, but suddenly it feels way too big.
The root of most confidence crises is fear.
• Fear of failure.
• Fear that we’ll be misunderstood.
• Fear that we can’t fix it.
Those are only a few of the fears that can fuel a confidence crisis.
This is nothing new. In John 20:19, we find the early church smack in the middle of a confidence crisis. It was Sunday evening and they were behind locked doors, afraid of the Jewish leaders. What’s interesting about this timeline is that they just witnessed the empty tomb that very day.
Yet here they are hiding, locked behind a barred door, afraid.
While fear is the root of most of our confidence crises, our faith is the target.
As long as the early church remained behind that locked door, the work that Jesus told them to was at a standstill.
What I love most about this story is how Jesus approached them. He didn’t knock on the door. He didn’t call them to come out from behind the locked door. He showed up among them – right in the midst of their fear.
For the next 40 days Jesus assured them of these things:
• I am who I say I am.
• Everything I have ever told you is still true.
• Everything I said you could do, you can still do – and even greater (John 14:12).
Jesus loved them enough not to leave them behind a barred door, afraid. He walked with them until they realized that they had everything they needed to be world changers.
What is our barred door?
It’s wherever fear wants to lead us.
It’s where a very real enemy desires to keep us. Personally and as a church.
My barred door was growing cynicism. I could stay behind that locked door, which kept me isolated and frustrated, or I could ask for help.
Jesus promised each of us an Advocate — someone who fights for us (John 14:16). When the early church began to pray and trust in that promise, rather than feed their fear, they became world changers. They stepped from fear to faith, and from their confidence crisis to courage. They were still ordinary. Just like me. Just like you.
When my feelings start to lean toward cynicism, I recognize it as a locked door. And I ask for help.
When I do, it cracks open that barred door.
And an ordinary woman who loves Jesus like crazy is free to do everything he said I can do, and greater.
Suzanne (Suzie) Eller is a Proverbs 31 Ministries writer, a bestselling author, Bible teacher, speaker, former radio host, and popular blogger. Her newest book, The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith Without Borders, has just been released. In this book, Suzie shares that we try to do big things for God in our own efforts and grit to see them through. Eventually though, we find ourselves sputtering along like an old car, a little empty and a lot uncertain about our faith and purpose. The promise Jesus made is that with the Helper, we will not be alone or ill-equipped.
You can find out more about Suzie or The Spirit-Led Heart HEREÂ
Download two chapters of The Spirit-Led Heart absolutely free! Click here to download.
You can connect with Suzie on Facebook HERE.
CLICK HERE to purchase your copy of the Spirit-Led Heart.
TO ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF THE SPIRIT-LED HEART:
Leave a comment on the blog sharing one area where you need to step from fear to faith and let God lead you from a confidence crisis to courage in Him. Giveaway entries will be accepted through May 31st, 2018.  (email entries will not qualify)
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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.
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I have often faced fear. Fear that I am not good enough. Fear of failure, fear of not having love in my life yet the God of hope fills me with an everlasting love. Thank you for such an amazing book. I renounce the lies attached to my fears and I announce the truth that I am loved by a Great Big Beautiful God one who knows my name and calls me beloved. Blessings Diana
Hi sweet lady!! I am in what I feel is one of the hardest seasons I’ve had to go through! And I am seeing such ugliness from people who aren’t Christ followers and sadly from some who are! It has been a very hurtful time and I am finding it hard to trust in God’s plan for me and my daughter and we are both becoming cynical about people and not wanting to trust anymore! We both need a faith infusion and just a major touch of healing! Loved this message and I can’t wsit to read your new book! ❤️❤️
Finally made an appointment for a long overdue physical. Fear of what might be revealed.
My biggest fear is my husband having Alzheimer’s. Together we both having been feeling well so we haven’t been going to church. We feel so separated from our church family. Now our church is thinking about joining with another church. I just feel the lack of love from them. Then my sister and I are having issues with my mom, my other sister and my sister’s son and family. It feels like a gang attack. I’m trying to do a Bible study and I’m failing at that too. Nothing seems right anymore. It just hurts so bad. I’ve gained so much weight that I stay home a lot. Sorry about this.
Praying for you, my dear sister
I think mine is to lead when I feel unqualified, sharing knowledge that has taken me out from very dark places and helped me grow but I am still afraid the calling He had for me in the women ministry I am still not good enough or still broken to do it.
I need to trust God with my finances.
My fear is being a single mom. I’ve been separated for a long time, however I just got divorced and the finality of it hit me like a ton of bricks. I know God will get me through this. He has been. I want to make sure my kids don’t suffer. God’s plan is good and He is good to me!
My biggest fear is failure at my job. I did not realize until reading this just how real this fear is. I was blessed by God with this job but have walked in fear ever since. Now a struggle has come and sales have dropped off and I am in trouble. Even as I write this fear gripes my heart due to what is happening right now.
I felt I had to kick my 18 yo out last week, from all the lying, stealing, deception, etc. It has been going on since 1st grade. He has been to more than 8 counselors, Teen Challenge, etc. I know he knows Jesus, he has had visions and words from Him. He has stepped away. I feel like I have failed him and failed God, who brought me this son through adoption. I fear that he has not hit rock bottom and what he still needs to go through will be very difficult. Did I do the right thing? Questioning myself every day.
My husband is currently between jobs. I fear the timing of the next job. Praying with power and living in today helps alleviate the fear.
I have lived with fear all my life. Fear of not being as good as someone else, fear of not being accepted. I lost my son almost 5 years ago and went through a lot of anxiety and fear of losing another child or grandchild. God has taken this fear
from me through his word and through family and friends who have helped me. Now I need another breakthrough from this
feeling of loneliness and purpose. Thank you for your devotion. I would love to have your book.
I used to sing and perform in community theater but stopped about 10 years ago when my oldest was small. I felt like I had to give that up and for a time I did need to in order to settle into my new role. But lately I have been feeling the itch to go back up on the stage and do what I love again. I just yesterday found out about some auditions for a show I love. While I’m dying to try out I worry that in the last 10 years I have lost my “mojo” and am not any good anymore. I go back and forth on whether to try.
I have lived in fear of being alone for the last few years. The crazy thing is I am married and I have 3 kids. But, 2 of my kids are grown and gone. My baby graduates next year. My husband works crazy shifts. But with God and counciling I have made it through this fear. I will never be alone. God will never leave me.
Oh my goodness, my life is full of fears, uncertainty, and lack of self confidence. The title of this book hooked me immediately. Reading more about the book only confirmed that this is a book I need to invest in. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
My barred door is being able to move forward. I seem to cycle from being able to move forward to getting stuck in old thought patterns and habits
I’m in a place of having to place my Mom who has Dementia and had a stroke and I can not take care of her anymore,in a nursing facility. I and trusting God to work everything out including her healing.
My Fear..is sometimes…I DON’T FEAR… how is that possible? Many things have happened in my 62 years…and I have become unafraid of what life holds for me.. because of the many “unplanned” events in my life. It is NOT that I want to be AFRAID.. it is that I want those fears to help me see that God is there and will always be there ..but I am afraid that some of those “unplanned” events… makes me afraid that God has “left my building”.. I pray that is not so.
I recently came out of a relationship that I just knew God had led me to and was answering years of prayers with. The loss of that threw me into a crisis of confidence and faith. It’s been a few months and I’m doing much better but would love to hear the message in your book!
I sense the Lord calling me to disciple/ lead young women in my church but I fear not being sufficient, not being accepted by them or being able to surmount all the obstacles to carrying out this idea.
I fear what people will think of me so I am not bold in sharing the Gospel.
I need to step up and give myself the courage to speak up to my family members about things. I feel like I will make them mad at me if I tell them what I want them to hear – to drop the pain, hurt feelings, and everything from the past – TO LET GO AND LET GOD. I get so frustrated trying to walk on egg shells with my family, let alone friends and co-workers!! I have ordered your book, and am anxious to get started reading it! I would love another copy to pass on to a friend.
So often I let fear get in the way…fear of failure, opinions of others, etc. God has been faithful in continuing to challenge those fears and growing me.
In the next several years my husband will be retiring from the military. I need to step from fear to faith that God will lead us to where we should go.
I struggle with that fear of failure as a heavy barred door for me much too often. I must learn to live 2 Timothy 1:7 and not just quote it.
Fear of failure – fear of not enough knowledge – fear that people will see me as who I use to be and not who I am now, striving to grow as a Christian.
I have always battled with the fear of not being good enough. I am trying to get over it & not believe the lie that I’m not.
I am currently reading Suzanne Eller’s new book. It has touched on many things past and present for me. I am using this book along with my scripture readings each day and certainly have gained strength and knowledge. For sometime now I have been looking
for a way to direct my life,in his name, and help others. With all the
positive reading I have been getting and the Holy Spirit helping I
feel that there may be changes soon. Maybe I can call it the Holy Spirit’s Bucket List for me. So positive, I am 79, healthy and have been a widow for nearly 20 years, retired since 2005. I pray that God will use me.
My biggest fear is that people will think God is not big enough for their struggles when they see that I am a believer and still struggle with my sinful nature. I want to share his goodness and the power of his word, but i sometimes feel like I am the person with the log in their eye trying to help the person with the splinter. I do desire a righteous and holy life and don’t struggle with any overt and obvious sins. But I do struggle with negativity. I do want this gone in Jesus’ name so God will be glorified in my life and God can use me to help others follow Him 🙂
I need to completely and truly trust God to guide my elderly mom’s decisions.
I have just gone through a very difficult year and find myself in a completely new situation in my life. While things are not how I wanted or envisioned them to be, God has been so very good to me and encouraged me through devotionals such as this. However, I’m frequently attacked by Satan in his attempts to make me fearful and lack the confidence I need to face the battles I do each day. I pray that God will continue to equip me with His precious Holy Spirit to guide me, encourage me, and make me the servant He would have me to be.
Thank you for all the post!! You are always so encouraging! I would love to read this book and pass along!
I am grateful for todays post. I am realizing I have been living in fear which has prevented me from moving into my calling in ladies ministry. I know deep in my heart I will overcome this as I Faithful seek the Lord more in His Word!!
The Holy Spirit has placed Proverbs 3:5-6 quite a few times before my heart many many times so far this year. I am learning to press into Him and trust Him with all my heart!
Thank you Lord for leading me and helping me to be faithful not fearful as I carry my cross with You beside me all the way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Blessings
Denise
“My barred door was growing cynicism. I could stay behind that locked door, which kept me isolated and frustrated, or I could ask for help”….such important words that resonate loudly….and the in age of the barred door….powerful! Can’t wait to read the book!
I need to step out in faith with regards to the relationship with my daughter-in-law & son. It’s been very hard. I prayed for his wife from almost the day he was born. I need too let go of my expectations & trust Him
My confidence crisis is very much so the spirit of fear and my past…..Because of what had transpired I let myself go physically, & emotionally. Spiritually I thought I was doing great but recently I realized that this has affected ALL areas of my life and my family’s lives. Most importantly, financially. But I know one thing is true God is making me stronger and more confident through the many struggles. He is Daddy and I know that He won’t leave me for dead. Can’t wait to read this book! I know HIS GREATEST on the horizon……
I am having an empty nest confidence crisis complete with concerns about graduation and college. I know it has been faith that has brought me this far. . .but I believe I have depended on faith to bail me out of despair. . .rather than PROPEL me into abundance. I am trying to shift my perspective and utilize my faith to it’s potential and not allow fear to limit the power of faith in my life.
I feel I am letting fear of failure stop me from fulfilling the call to write that the Lord has placed in my heart for years. I see so many obstacles in the way that it makes me just want to give up. I am battling not to give into the despair of the devil.
I am facing two biggest fears right now. First is becoming a volunteer for a church I have started attending. This week, I signed up for two areas. One is door greeter and the other is library assistant. Greeter is simple enough, but I have no experience where the library is concern, except being a reader. I thought since I have been on several launch teams of female authored books, I could use this experience to suggest to the library and more women to get these books, because I have read them in advance. And it would be a way, I could connect with other women.
The other big fear is launching a hospitality table in our front yard this summer. Our neighborhood association is finding it hard to keep it a float, as it’s a large area of 400 plus homes, so I thought since I live on a main street, I would launch a hospitality table to get to know more of my neighbors. This is a big step for me, (stepping out in faith) as I’m not one for starting things, unless I have some experience behind me.
I need to step from fear to faith in my career. A lay-off earlier this year paralyzed me.
Fear has definitely been evident in my life. When I realized how much it hindered my walk with Christ, I sought the Lord to deliver me. He has been faithful to show me that I need to focus on Him and not be distracted by my feelings or any negativity from others. As I took the Word into my being and memorized verses that told me of God’s love and His desire for me to be conformed to His image, I found fear fading. It is so encouraging to have others confirm that this is the way to find joy and peace in daily living.
Leading when feeling unqualified and scared about what people will think. Silly me, I need to remember that God equips the called, and who cares what people think…I’m working for God.
this past year has held change after change. Husband left and now divorce, financial
Difficulties, my sister had to go through the cancer journey and as a breast cancer survivor so many memories flashed back, move from home into apartment, primary physician retires, my counselor becomes the Mother General of the Franciscan sister of the Eucharist and my dog , my unconditional love, dies suddenly. These circumstances along with a mom with dimentia and chronic health conditions.
My area is trusting that God will guide me and I will “get it”. So many times I feel like I’m rowing the boat upstream
This piece was a gift like no other. I am unemployed for the first time since starting 43 years ago. I was pushed out of an agency I loved and gave my all to for 21 years. A knew director who, for whatever reason, had someone better in mind. I need to move from the fear that I will not be able to move past the bitterness and that employment that brings me as much joy will never be found. Reading this article just helped me open the barred door. Thank you.
I need to trust God with my calling to women’s ministry. Jesus has told me several times that He is the Vine and I’m a branch. I used to say I’m ONLY a branch. But then Jesus helped me realize the branches are important to HIM. After all, what good is a Vine without branches. He said I only need to remain in the Vine by staying close to Him and trust Him to give me everything I need to fulfill my calling for His glory.
There are so many areas where I struggle with fear. The biggest one is in my career. I struggle daily with feeling like an imposter and not good enough.
My area was my marriage, but God, my two favorite words, has very recently helped me address that fear. We are moving toward growth and restoration. I am trusting God in this and in His timing. I downloaded the sample from amazon and plan to read this weekend. Come with me literally saved my sanity during the toughest year of my life, I can’t wait to read this book. Thank you for sharing God’s heart and His love for us.
My fear is that my heart has stopped feeling and I won’t be able to get it opened again. I married a non Christian. My 4 th. How I could fall so far is something I can’t quite figure out. How to go back is the war I’m fughtu now.
I need to remember that what God asks me to do, he will equip me for. I don’t need to freak out, run ahead of him or back out because it isn’t looking like how I envision it working. I feel as if every area of my life is out of control because I can’t honestly control it. I have to trust God’s promises are for me too.
I have a fear of speaking in large groups. Fear of not sounding smart enough or relevant to the topic, conversation. I would love a copy of your new book, Suzie!
My husband will be retiring soon and my greatest fear is our financial situation. I am trying to be positive about his retirement, but I find myself worrying a lot about our finances.
That God can restore all that the locust stole via others choices to sin very long term.
I always find comfort and peace in God, but people? Not so much. I find myself feeling that people will just let me down. Or that they’re too complicated or needy and I’m not qualified to handle it. The funny thing is, God tends to put people in our lives who require us to do exactly what we’re trying to avoid. I’m grateful for that, but I have a long way to go and ask the Holy Spirit for help everyday. I would love to read this book and step out of fear of intimacy with the people who so desperately need the love of Jesus.
I am learning to trust in and have the confidence only God can provide as our family faces a number of unknowns heading into the Fall months. There is some fear around change and struggling to make ends meet.