Courage Archives - Holley Gerth

If You’re Stressed or Weary, Worried or Hurried

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If you’re stressed or weary, worried or hurried today then this is an invitation for your soul…

I’ve been trying to begin a new habit of pausing for a few moments of silence before starting my day. After only thirty seconds my heart already feels like a racehorse at the gate, keyed up and impatient. The only words that seem to come to my mind are the to-do list waiting for me. The only feeling I can summon up is anxiety.

I thought, because I’m an introvert, this practice of a few moments of silence would be easy. But I’m finding this kind of time is more than an absence of noise, which I can handle and even welcome. Instead it’s an intentional choosing to be fully present to God. It’s about being quiet on the inside and this is much, much harder than turning down the volume on the television.

It’s very loud in my mind, you see. There are worries and fears, insecurities and uncertainties. I can generally calm this crowd of hecklers by doing something. But sitting in silence only makes them shout.

Yet as I stay on the edge of the bed it seems I begin to hear a deeper, clearer voice. Finally, this single phrase comes to the forefront of my mind: You are already loved.

Tears come to my mind because it is exactly what my soul needs to remember. Exactly.

I sit still and repeat it over and over.

No matter what you do or don’t do today…
You are already loved.
No matter how you might fail or fall…
You are already loved.
No matter what yesterday held or the future will bring…
You are already loved.

I finish my few minutes of silence and take that phrase with me through the rest of the day. When something on my to-do list goes undone, when my plans turn to chaos, when I feel a bit weary I say it again: You are already loved.

What does your heart need to hear today? Would you like to join me in starting a habit of a few minutes of silence?

1 – Choose a time and place. I picked sitting on the edge of my bed for about five minutes before I get up for the day.

2 – All kinds of thoughts will race through your mind. That’s okay and just part of the process. As each one comes, release it to God.

3 – As your mind gets quieter, ask God to speak the truth your heart needs to hear. (Note: Most of the time this will be Scripture so if you don’t hear anything just reflect on a verse you love. If it’s not Scripture, then what you hear should still align with what the Bible says. For example, I heard “You are already loved” which is a theme throughout God’s Word.)

Emily P. Freeman said, “When we sit in silence we may not be doing anything but we are undoing so much.” I have made a habit of hurry, of hustling for love and approval. I want to undo it. Maybe you would like to join me?

We are invited into God’s arms today.
We have worth beyond what we do.
We are already loved.

XOXO

Holley Gerth

p.s. If you want more peace in your heart and day, you’ll find it in Hope Your Heart Needs. This new devotional came out of quiet moments I spent with Jesus. Writing it changed my life and I believe reading it will change yours. I’m so excited to share it with you!

Hope Your Heart Needs officially releases September 18th but you can preorder it now. Here’s a free excerpt.

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I’m Done Running Away from What Scares Me (You Can Be Too)

by Holley 24 Comments

I’m driving home from lunch with a new friend, replaying the conversation. Fear makes my breathing shallow, my heartbeat fast. What if she doesn’t like me? What if I came across all wrong? I often have moments like this when anxiety gets the best of me and I want to retreat from the whole world.

But this time I pray, “Jesus, help me. I don’t understand why I act this way. I want to be free.” A simple declaration comes to my heart: I am done running away. From now on, I am running toward.

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I don’t even fully understand what this means but I put on my tennis shoes when I get home. I walk out the door and onto the trail behind our house. I turn on my favorite music and run like my life depends on it. No more, no more, no more, I say with every step.

I think of all I have run away from…how fear has chased me and people-pleasing has set my pace, how anxiety has nipped at my heels like a rogue chihuahua, how the lies have worn me out.

I am done.

I will no longer be a woman who’s defined by what she’s running from.

I am going to run toward grace. I am going to run toward love. I am going to run toward the wild dreams that beckon me in the distance. I am going to run toward boldness and freedom and holy confidence. I am going to run toward Jesus.

I finish, sweaty and spent on the outside, strong and roaring on the inside. I don’t know everything this new perspective means, what exactly I have done. But it feels like something dark and destructive challenged me to a race today.

And I won.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
{Hebrews 12:1}

XOXO
Holley Gerth

P.S. Will you join me in the journey of living as a fiercehearted woman? Let’s live fully and love bravely — together.

P.S.S. Just so you know, this post includes affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only share what I believe will be truly helpful. Thanks for your support in this way!

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It’s Okay If We Don’t Have It All Figured Out

by Holley 25 Comments

When I drive I often become lost in thought, which tends to lead to being lost in my car. The other evening I got off on the wrong exit. No big deal, I told myself, I’ll just turn on this random road. It looks like it goes north. (Never mind that my brain thinks whatever direction I’m facing is north.)

Needless to say, this road did not take me home. Instead it took me into scary places where no one had bothered to put street lights. I was sure Big Foot was going to appear. I heard wolves howling (or they could have been chihuahuas—it didn’t matter at this point). I hit potholes the size of the Grand Canyon. I prayed relentlessly, “Help me, Jesus” because I was sure I would soon meet Him face-to-face.

Then, suddenly, I saw a stoplight. When I pulled up to it, sweaty, exhausted and grateful to be alive, I realized it was the exact same spot where I had taken the original wrong turn. I had, in effect, driven in a square right back to where I started. It had been five minutes. At this point I turned myself over to the GPS, whose voice guided me the rest of the way without further incident.

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Once the danger had passed I thought of these words from Proverbs 3:5-6 (because everything in my life seems to turn into some sort of spiritual analogy): Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.

It’s the “don’t depend on your own understanding” part that’s hard for me. Because sometimes I just know that I’m right, that I have it all figured out, that I’m heading “north” in whatever decision I’m making. But so often I find myself on a back road where I don’t belong, scared out of my wits and just hoping I’m not about to be abducted by aliens.

When I don’t know where I’m headed in the next moment or day or year I feel stressed and anxious and slightly guilty. I feel like I have to guess or just do my best rather than relying on something outside myself, like the GPS in my car or the Spirit of God within me. I’m in a season that feels this way. And I have been freaking out because of it. Just this morning a friend said to me, “Maybe you’re not supposed to figure this out.” My whole soul sighed in relief at those words.

So just in case you’re wired a bit like me (or love someone who is) let’s tell ourselves all over again: We don’t have to figure everything out on our own.

True confession: Living this way doesn’t feel like “north” to me yet. It feels scary and awkward and as if I’m losing control. But I’m slowly discovering it’s actually what I want and need most. Trust, not trying hard, is what leads me into peace and rest and even joy. It’s the only way home for my wandering, worrying heart.

XOXO
Holley

P.S. If you need a little dose of encouragement each morning (I know I do!), I wrote this for you.

P.P.S. Are you on Instagram? If so, I’d love to connect with you there.

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God Will Use Us Even If We Don’t Feel “Ready”

by Holley 19 Comments

Someone recently asked me, “What would you say to a woman who’s struggling in life or ministry and wondering, ‘Is God even calling me?’” Haven’t we all been in that place of uncertainty? I have. I’ve wrestled with the dark and doubt, the questions and insecurity.

And here’s what I’ve come to believe: When we ask, “Is God calling me?” the answer is always, “Absolutely.” He is calling each and every one of us to Himself. That’s the calling we all share.

Within that calling there will be things He asks us to do, steps of obedience He wants us to take. Whatever that is, we will never feel fully ready to do it. That is a good thing. Because it’s not about us. It’s about Him. Our brokenness, our weaknesses, and our failures are not enough to stop our unstoppable God.

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I am living proof that’s true. I imagine you are too.

That’s why we need each other. As my friend and fellow writer Jennifer Watson says, “Don’t do it alone. The enemy wants to isolate us. Find at least one other person to partner with you. There is a reason Jesus sent His disciples out two by two.” Needing other people isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. It’s the design God has always had in mind.

So let’s raise our hands and hearts together today and say, “God, we will not give in to the fear or insecurity. We hear You calling us and we’re answering. We’ll do whatever You want us to do. And what we want most of all is more of You.”

Cheering you on…

Holley

P.S. If you liked this post, you might love You’re Made for a God-sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You. Want a preview of the book? Here’s a free excerpt.

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What We Need More than Self-Esteem

by Holley 27 Comments

I’m part of a panel at a women’s event and those of us on stage are asked, “Do you ever struggle with confidence? It looks like all of you have it all together.” I’ve been asked this before, told this before, and it still surprises and startles me. Because I can see my insides. I know my messes and my crazy, mistakes and stumbles, how I’ve wrestled with depression and anxiety like wild alligators, how my heart has the scars to prove it.

The woman who gets the microphone first is lovely and confident, outgoing and articulate. By the time it’s my turn my heart is pounding, I’m sweating and I feel like I have something in my nose (which always happens when I’m speaking in public). I tell the audience all this and they laugh with me, thankfully.

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Then I also say what God has been putting on my heart, what has been saving me from myself, what has been making me stronger and bolder in ways that are catching me by surprise. I declare to this group of women and to my imperfect self, “What I’ve been realizing lately is this: The world tells us we need to have self-esteem but what we really need is holy confidence.”

For years I tried to prove I was enough. Perfect enough. Good enough. Experienced enough. Smart enough. Pretty enough. But it’s only when we come to the place where we can finally say, ‘I’m not enough but Jesus is’ that our hearts get free.

The reality is we will always fall short of the expectations of others and ourselves. But it doesn’t matter because our scandalous God, our gracious Savior, declares we are beloved and chosen and empowered anyway.

Self-esteem says we can do it.

Holy confidence says, in spite of us, God will.

In the moments when I’m insecure and afraid, when my heart is pounding, my hands are sweating and it feels like there’s something in my nose, that’s the Truth that I really need to know. Maybe, just maybe, I’m not the only one.

XOXO

Holley Gerth

P.S. If you liked this post, you might love Do You Know You’re Already Amazing? 30 Truths to Set Your Heart Free. Want a preview of the devotional? Here’s a free chapter.

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