The Day I Wanted To Quit

Today's special guest is author and speaker, Lori Hatcher. She will talk to us about tackling the mind games that discourage and defeat us.


By Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2

Your proposal is rejected—again, and your head swirls with doubt, disappointment, and confusion. You pour your heart out in a blog post, take hours to format it just right, click post, and wait. The only buzz you hear is from the ceiling fan above your head, and the only comments you receive are from your mother and Aunt Fran.
 Every writing conference you attend seems populated by successful, profound writers and brings new battles with jealousy and insecurity. You compare your blog, book, or platform to your superstar colleague and wonder if you’re deluded in thinking that God could ever use you or your story to impact someone else.

It’s been my experience that struggling writers (and we’re all struggling writers) deal with three main areas that make us want to quit: comparison, insecurity, and competitiveness. In each area, we find lies that can defeat us and truth that can deliver us. If you’ve attended one of my writing workshops, you know there’s more to winning this battle than I can share in a brief blog post, but here are a few thoughts to aid you in the fight.

Comparison
Lies: She’s a better writer than you are. She’s got thousands of blog subscribers and you have fifty. She writes like a New York Times bestseller and you write like a kindergartener. Your personal life is a wreck, and she’s got it all together. Who’s going to take you seriously?
Truth: God has given each of us a unique set of life experiences, communication styles, and spheres of influence. He’s allowed our circumstances to prepare us for the specific audience he wants to impact through us.

If God has called you to write, then he has called you to write, not despite where you are, who you are, or what you’ve been through, but because of where you are, who you are, or what you’ve been through.

Insecurity
Lies: I’m not articulate enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not witty enough. I’m not well connected enough.
Truth: “He who called you is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9).

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

“I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand” (Isa. 51:16).

Whenever we struggle with insecurity, we need to have our I’s checked. Instead of focusing on ourselves and the real or imagined inadequacies we have, we need to exchange our “I’s” for “He’s.” We must examine the valid and unwavering sources for our confidence—God’s calling, God’s empowering, and God’s Truth.

Competitiveness
Lies: If I help her, she’ll get ahead, and I’ll be left behind. She received a book contract, and I received a rejection letter. I could help her promote her book, but why should I? I’m always the book bridesmaid and never the bride.
Truth: Fellow author Cindy Sproles once said, “The world is big enough and broken enough and lost enough to need every one of us sounding the message of Christ. We’re all on the same team. We’re working toward the same goal. Someone else’s success doesn’t diminish my own, because we’re comrades in arms.”

I hope you’ve figured out by now that the secret of tackling the mind games that foul our minds and distort our perspectives is to exchange lies for the truth. To do this, we must have a firm grasp on Scripture and bathe everything we do in prayer. As Bible teacher Beth Moore says, “We're going to have to let truth scream louder to our souls than the lies that have infected us.”

My prayer for you is that you fight the battle, win the war, and write on for the glory of God.

This post is an excerpt from Lori’s writing workshop by the same name. If you’d like information on the full presentation, please contact Lori at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of two devotional books, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women and  Joy in the Journey – Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. A blogger, writing instructor, and inspirational speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time . Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/num_skymannu/suvro datta/Digitalart.)

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Comments

  1. Thank you for the opportunity to encourage your amazing readers, Andrea and Alicia. May hearts be encouraged to press on!

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    1. Thank you for such an encouraging post. We all need to be reminded to hang in there. :)

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  2. Thank you Lori for your inspiring words, and thank you Andrea for sharing this post. It was exactly what I needed to hear today. God's timing is always perfect. :-)

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    Replies
    1. So glad to hear that, Sheryl. You're right, God always gives us what we need, when we need it. Thanks so much for sharing. :)

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