How To Overcome Self-Doubt

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6-9

Self-doubt, defined as a lack of confidence in oneself and one’s ability, can stop you in your tracks. It goes something like this. You have a great idea and spend time developing your brainchild until you are ready to birth it into the world. But then come the negative thoughts. I can’t do this, what was I thinking? Failure is imminent, better stop while I am ahead. I’m not good enough, someone else, who is better than me, should do this.

Ok, let’s pause for a brief moment. I want to give self-doubt it’s fair shake. Sometimes, self-doubt can be useful. It may cause you to pause long enough to know your idea is not ready yet, and you need to plan it out better before you birth it. It can also cause you to pause long enough to realize your idea is not a good idea. Like the time I was going to go in debt $20,000 to go back to school at the age of 54. Given our finances, this was NOT a good idea.

Sometimes self-doubt protects us, but more often it holds us back when it shouldn’t.

So, how can we put self-doubt in its place and remain anxious about nothing? How do we overcome, persist, and move forward knowing the God of peace is with us?

What if we start by acknowledging the elephant in the room? Once we recognize there is a problem, we can begin to dismantle the weapons Satan has formed against us and reclaim God’s power over us.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

Know the why behind your mission.

When we know the importance of moving forward, of pushing past the self-doubt and fear, we are motivated to put into practice what God has laid upon our hearts to accomplish.

I would not have started this blog or written my book if I hadn’t first understood the importance of doing it. God had given me a dream; He had called me to put myself, my words, my most intimate thoughts out into the world. He had given me a mission. I trusted Him. I choose God over my doubts and fears.

You must make your mission, your why, bigger than your self-doubt.

If an elephant-sized helping of self-doubt enters the room, it is a good sign you have just stepped onto the mission field. Satan will not unleash his elephant army without cause.

How do you eat an elephant?

This is one of my favorite sayings, and it has become a mantra in my life. I am often overwhelmed with the big picture, yet I want to accomplish great things.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

Take the first bite, choose one small thing, one step you can take, right now, to move towards your goal. May I suggest you start by saying your thing out loud? This breathes life into your dream. Let’s pause and do this together right now.

 “I want to become a public speaker.”

Wow, I just did it! Yup, that is my thing, and now you know. That is your next step, tell someone else your dream. I just told you, this makes it more real, gives it more power. As I pray about this and share my dream with God, I find the God of peace with me on the mission field. Why? Because it is a God-given dream.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9

Your call to action.

Has self-doubt been keeping you from accepting the mission God has planned for you? Maybe you turned down an invitation to speak at an event. Perhaps you have hesitated to call a friend who has been on your heart all week. It could even be that you fear telling someone “no” even when you realize you need to. Now is the time to take the first bite. Start in prayer—tell God your idea and your fears—then, put into practice what he has put on your heart to do.

I would love to be the one you tell your idea to. Please feel free to message me HERE or leave a comment on this blog post, I will be happy to cover your idea in prayer and cheer you on!

Let’s pray and tell God our ideas!

Heavenly Father, thank you for putting upon my heart (to be a public speaker). I ask for your blessing upon this dream and for your peace to encompass my heart so that self-doubt and fear have to flee. Show me my next steps and give me courage to take them. Thank you, God of peace, for your presence beside me in this battle. In Jesus’ name. Amen.