The mantra “Believe in Yourself” works fine when ‘Yourself’ is confident and healthy. But what do we believe in when we aren’t enough?
We’re continuing the ‘Women-I-Admire-and-Why‘ theme from this week because in our upcoming book, “The Best Seller,” the main character is a young woman who gets mentored by both men and women. March is also Women’s History month so we’re highlighting some of my women mentors.
One incredible woman named Beth Moore taught a little women’s bible study back when I was 22 years old and in dire need of help. I was stuck in my life. I was completely lost. I had grown up thinking that all I needed to do was follow the advice, “Believe in yourself.”
Believe in yourself…that was a nice thing to believe in until my previously strong self started to fail consistently, anxiety weighed on my chest daily, thoughts got murky, and I was confused as to why I couldn’t think my way out of the mess so, instead, I began to hide behind the walls I had built between me and others.
My fall into the dark pit of depression wasn’t sudden, it was a gradual descent over years. I tried so many things to help myself – diet, exercise, self-help tapes, medications – and none of those things lightened the heaviness, I kept slipping further into the darkness.
A co-worker invited me to church. That was the last place I wanted to go, but she persistently invited me. I started attending church with her and she introduced me to others. We attended a bible study by this small-framed-big-hearted woman named Beth Moore, who told stories I could relate to, laugh with, and learn from. Halfway through another study she taught me about a walled city named Jericho and a woman named Rahab. Rahab did not have her life figured out. She was stuck. She was lost. And yet.
Beth Moore’s Believing God states, “Somehow Rahab rings Romans 5:8 like a liberty bell – so loudly that I can hear it all the way from the Old Testament. ‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ While Rahab was yet a sinner. While _(Katie)_ was yet a sinner. We want tidier stories than these, don’t we? But all the tidying up without God’s grace is just pressed and folded filthy rags. Rahab was like me and a few others I know. She couldn’t seem to clean up her act, then believe God.
“She believed God first and then let God clean up her act.”
That was the beginning of a new chapter in my life, where I started focusing on something and someOne bigger than myself. I wasn’t enough to fight depression alone – I needed to let God break down the walls around me, bring light to my darkness, and lead my life. I needed a paceline of people around me who encouraged me and pulled me towards the path leading to things much greater than myself. I am forever grateful to my co-worker and friends: @Kristina_Farmer_counseling, @SarahEJunek, and @BethMoorePLM (excerpt from “Believing God” by Beth Moore, published by LifeWay Press, 2002)
Do you feel connected? We are all better when we are united together and have a team behind us.
Katie Bishop and her dad, Doug Reichardt worked together over 5 years to finish a novel to help guide others in business, sales, and life. Their novel, now available on Amazon, follows a young woman struggling in her career who finds inspiration and wisdom in her journey. Want an early copy? Stay in the loop.