My Harshest Critic
First published August 11, 2015
I had the awesome opportunity to attend the She Speaks conference at the end of July, and I can’t say enough good things about it. Whether a writer or a speaker, this two-day event was designed to help you become better. Lysa Terkeurst and team did an amazing job. I laughed. I learned. One thing I didn’t do was leave the same person I was when I arrived.
For almost a year-and-a-half, I allowed a critic, and a harsh one at that, be the voice – the only voice – that got in my head and tore me down. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, I did was ever good enough. And because I allowed my work to define me, her voice is what shaped me. But, while she might have been the person who signed my evaluations, she was not the God who justified my existence.
In the two short days I spent at She Speaks, I felt more encouraged, more uplifted, and more validated than I felt in a really long time. So what made the difference?
The voice I listened to.
From the early morning worship sessions to the last closing prayer, I was surrounded by voices preaching from their hearts, speaking life into my ideas, and creating an atmosphere where God could be present. But I can’t let this atmosphere just be something I experience in a conference setting. I need to daily surround myself with what He thinks and says about me.
There will always be voices that speak negatively. There will always be someone tearing us down instead of building us up. There will always be critics. When work is such a huge part of who you are, it’s hard not to take it personally. Aligning your thoughts with God’s heart towards you will help silence those voices, and allow you to rise up to the level where He created you to succeed.
I don’t need to be at a conference to open my bible, and I certainly don’t need to hop on a plane to worship or hear the word of God. I just need to let the voice of my harshest critic be drowned out by the voice of God, who in a whisper, can speak more encouragement over me that I could ever possibly imagine!