I was sitting across the table with a dear friend this week who is a couple decades older than me, but who still struggles with questioning her greatest gifts from God. As we sipped our coffee, we both shared lies we are tempted to believe about ourselves or God, and we noticed that they are often targeted right at the best parts about who we are and what God has called us to do. The lies seemed so obvious to us as the listening friend, but they weren’t for us experiencing them, and I have a feeling you can relate to both sides of us at that coffee table. Spoiler alert- unfortunately age is not a magic fix to overcoming our deepest insecurities.

We can learn a lot from Jeremiah’s calling and these truths should overflow our hearts with confidence in Christ alone to live out exactly who he has created us to be and what he has called us to do. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Just like Jeremiah, God knew us in our mothers’ wombs and appointed us for the exact roles we would have! He intentionally made us with our personalities and talents, and purposed our gifts to equip us for the roles he preplanned for us as daughters, friends, wives, moms, homeschoolers, owners of shops, executives, and ministers of the gospel.

Jeremiah’s self-doubt reminds me a lot of how we tend to respond to God as women. “Alas, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak, I am too young.” (Jer. 1:6). God Almighty just gave him a clear calling, and yet he is oozing with cringy insecurity that is so obvious to us as the reader, but all too familiar in our everyday lives. Jeremiah is having a confidence crisis because his focus is not relying on God, but relying on himself. It’s interesting that he has good theology mixed in with his doubts. He calls God “Sovereign Lord” before he has the guts to dispute God’s sovereign calling on his life, which is such a contradiction. Do we not do this every time we give into lies that make us question who God is, who we are or what God has asked us to do? Good theology alone cannot sustain us, we need an authentic relationship with God where we are constantly depending on him to put his Word into practice.

Just like Jeremiah, we tend to question our gifts and identity, which originate from God and not us, and are meant to be sustained by God, and not us. “The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” (Jer. 1: 7-8) God responds to his feelings of inadequacy not with suggesting things he could do to build up his self-confidence, but instead, he instructs him to obey what he has commanded him to do. We too need to remove our feelings from our obedience. God is so kind to offer us support in the struggle through his constant nearness and reminder that he can rescue us out of anything.

God seals the deal of dependance when he equips Jeremiah for his calling, “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See today I appoint you over nations and Kingdoms…” (Jer. 1:9-10) Whatever gifts we have are from God and empowered by God. Just as God reached out and touched Jeremiah’s lips, so those of us who have trusted Christ receive the Holy Spirit to empower us to use our gifts for God’s glory. God also gives us specific callings or roles that may change based on our seasons, but these are not chosen by us, each one is ordained by God. While the season may not be our preference or when the job isn’t easy, we can remember Jeremiah’s challenges, and take comfort that every detail of our lives is masterfully planned out by our Sovereign Lord.

When we start to spiral from the comparison game, believing lies or burning out in our own strength, we should note that God repeats twice in this passage that he will be with us, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” and again in verse 19, “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah faced opposition from the highest ranking to regular people, and he was told to expect that, and we should too. People’s approval can never sustain our confidence or calling, but continually looking to Christ will. When challenges come, often people question who they are and what they were called to do because their expectations of serving God doesn’t include this sort of thing. We should expect hardships and attacks, especially as it specifically relates to serving God in our unique callings. The trials are all part of God’s plan to keep our dependance on Him and not ourselves or other people.

Living for the approval of people instead of fearing God is a huge trap that many of us fall into, and so we should really listen to this warning from God as He concludes this passage, “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” (Jer. 1:17) Paul echoes this in our call to make disciples, “We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed- God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people.” (1 Thess 2:4-6) People pleasing isn’t a cute problem like we often make it out to be, but it alludes to a lack of fearing God and making an idol of people’s approval over God’s.

As we live out the unique plans God has for our lives, we need friends who will sit across the table from us to remind us that God has made us just as we are, he has gifted us beautifully, and given us His Spirit to equip us. We should fear God and not man. God promises to be with us during every challenge, our job is simply to obey, embrace his nearness, and put our trust in the Sovereign Lord alone to sustain us.

Laura DiLeonardi

Laura DiLeonardi is the founder of Agape Moms, a national network of missional communities for mothers that launched in 2016. Since early 2022, she’s served as the Director of Community at The Journey Church in Lebanon, TN where she oversees Life Groups, the Women’s Ministry and where she planted her third Agape Moms chapter. Laura is a writer, speaker and mobilizer for women of all ages to live on mission for Jesus in their everyday lives. She is married to her Moody Bible Institute sweetheart, Matt since 2009 and they have three kids, Jack, Selah and Lucy, and two fur babies, Bear and Lady. In her free time she enjoys hiking with the family, running, and good conversation over a cup of coffee. Laura's passion is seeing lives continually transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our Calling: The Target of Attack