Devotional Thought · New Releases

More Than Enough

More Than EnoughPart of a romance author’s writing process involves getting inside our characters heads and understanding how they think. One of the most important parts of this process is asking, “what is his/her lie?” A”lie” is the false belief they live with that shapes how the he or she reacts to situations and other characters. Overcoming this lie is a significant part of what drives the story.

In real life, we all have lies we live under, too.

No one will ever love me for me. I’m too much to handle. I’ve sinned to much. If they knew what I’d done, they’d never forgive me. My size/health/disability/appearance/shortcoming defines me. I’ve failed at everything else, there’s no point trying anymore. No matter what I do, I’ll never be good enough. So. Many. Lies.

I’ll admit, for many years my lie was I am either too much or not enough. Too much of the things no one wants (too loud, talkative, opinionated, descriptive, rough around the edges—take your pick) and not enough of the “right” things (not gentle enough, selfless enough, thin enough, worthy). My struggle to overcome this lie came to a head a few years ago, and it was during this season I funneled many of my feelings and frustrations into the character of Adaline Danvers, the heroine in More Than Enough (which I first wrote in 2019 for the Crossroads Collection When Snowflakes Never Cease).

While a significant majority of Ada’s story is hers alone, I have lived her need to project a perfect mom image while internally resenting expectations and feeling like a failure. I have walked in her shoes with the compulsion to help, to control, to find validation in doing things perfectly and then falling on my face until I had no choice but to submit to God.

When our lies become part of our identity, they become the filter or lens through which we perceive what others tells us and the catalyst for how we react in situations where that lie is thrown up in front of our faces. Every encounter that reinforces our lie increases its stronghold over us.

That’s a dangerous thing, especially for we who consider ourselves Christians.

We know the identity of the father of lies (John 8:44). He’s not our biggest fan. In fact, he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came so we may have life to the full (John 10:10). In Christ, we have authority over the enemy and the power he wields in our lives (Luke 10:19).

Do you ever feel like you’re not enough?

The truth is, you aren’t. (I know. The truth hurts.)

But the good new for you, me, and my sweet heroine Adaline, is that GOD IS. Nothing we can do will ever be enough to make up for our shortcomings and failures. 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We will never be good enough for God’s kingdom on our own. We will always be too much of one thing and not enough of another. But GOD is enough. JESUS is enough. His sacrifice for us ONE time on the cross is enough to cover a multitude of sins, failures, shortcomings, and flaws.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17)! And this includes freedom from the lies we’ve believed. It doesn’t matter what your lie is, God’s grace is enough to cover it. To break its power over you. And the beauty of the way God does things is it doesn’t require a whole lot. Jesus told the disciples that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matt. 17:20)! What will it take to break the hold of the lies you’ve believed?

**Side note: I am not saying every malady will be made whole this side of heaven if only you believe hard enough. That would be unbiblical, and frankly, damaging. Some things require a lot more than simple faith to walk in freedom. There’s no shame in seeking therapy, medication, dietary changes, support from other believers, and other wise resources available to you. Jesus alone is the source of our freedom, but He can and will use a plethora of resources to carry out His work.**

I won’t spoil Ada’s pivotal scene in More Than Enough for you, but I hope if you choose to read it you will identify with her struggles and the way God brings her to her knees so she can finally accept that HE is enough. I also hope that if you’ve been struggling with inadequacies and feelings of not being enough—or any other lie that keeps you bound in captivity—that you will experience a similar breakthrough. I guarantee it won’t be easy, and it will probably hurt, but God promises He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will walk beside you each step of the way until you discover the freedom He so freely gives.

You are more than enough, my friend. Not because YOU are, but because HE is more than enough.

And because He loves you so very, very much.

Devotional Thought · New Releases

The Fruits of Faith and Peace

The Fruits of Peace and JoyI’ve been a Christian so long that, at times, it’s been easy to take my faith for granted. Dry seasons, wandering seasons, passionately in love with Him seasons.

Every frustrating dry season when I long to hear His voice but for some reason can’t inevitably ends up with a hard self-examination and facing my need to weed out the parts that aren’t bringing Him glory or redirect myself onto the path He’s chosen.

But the fruits of those seasons are always a rich harvest for which I am thankful. Each season has come with life lessons and helped shape me into a more empathetic person full of grace (toward everyone but myself, sadly).

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. There is no law against these things! – Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

The last bit always cracks me up. Do you ever hear people rant, “There ought to be a law!” about one frustrating thing or another? I imagine the religious lawmakers of Paul’s day said it a lot. And while there is no law against the fruits of the spirit, growing them in our daily lives is certainly no easier than following the Old Testament law.

By now, we can agree that 2020 has been a YEAR. Patience runs thin (which is the most difficult fruit of the spirit to grow anyway, IMO). Kindness, goodness, and gentleness are hard to find if you’re watching the news or other media, though if you look around in real life, you’ll find them like plants flourishing in the shade. Same goes for love and joy. I won’t even get started on self-control (hello, extra pounds).

I started out the year writing two books. The first, my final novel in the Everyday Love series which released in May. The second, Always Been Yours, part of the Something Borrowed collection with several of my dearest author friends. Hanady and Keenan’s friends-to-more story came together just how I envisioned. I wasn’t sure what the rest of my writing year held, but I trusted the Lord to show me the way.

Then… in came invitations from two more collections for this Christmas. Peace settled into my spirit while praying about joining them, so I did. And then came quarantine and stay-home orders, giving me more dedicated time to write than ever. With three commitments, I needed every second. Unfortunately, though I exercised self-discipline and saw that fruit grow in abundance, joy and peace began shriveling on the vine.

I finished my second book and excitedly began work on the third, a spin-off from my May release Whatever Happens Next. Rob and Vera’s story came pouring out in the beginning. By the time I hit the middle of Christmas Mercy for the seventh Crossroads collection, though, I struggled. Anxiety and self-doubt strangled my peace.

This was early summer when we were all growing weary of quarantine, our state remaining closed, and mourning all of our canceled plans. Still, I faithfully continued to write and work through the emotions and lack of peace and was overwhelmed by God’s reminder in my life of His mercy. His grace. His good gifts even when we’re a mess inside.

As I made plans to begin my final novella of the year, fear wanted to settle in and make its mark. I had to faithfully practice trust and fight off the doubts of the enemy while also resting in the promise that if God called me to it, He would equip me for it. And because He is faithful, He answered my fervent prayers and expanded my creativity to write This and Every Christmas, part of Hearts Aglow (The Christmas Lights Collection 2020). This story is unlike anything else I’ve ever written. How I wrote it was different, too. It grew me and stretched me and through it I learned so much about the kind of storyteller He calls me to be.

It also reminded me of the words in John 15:5. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. My vine will wither, the fruits shrivel, and words fail. He is the vine from which I grow, from which the fruits of my spirit will grow. These three books are the fruits of faithfulness and self-discipline as I sought peace despite my anxieties. They bring joy to my heart and are a strong reminder of what a big, wonderful God we serve. How He loves me through every up and down and calls me to do the same with Him (and others!). Seeing them out in the world, knowing how much they’ve been prayed and labored over is a tangible bit of each fruit that God has worked in me through 2020.

What fruits are flourishing in you this year? Are you struggling with any? How can I pray for or encourage you?

Be sure to comment, or if you’d prefer, you can always email jaycee@jayceeweaver.com or message me on Facebook. If you’d like to hear more devotional thoughts or stay current on what’s happening in my writer life, you can also subscribe to my irregularly delivered newsletter https://jayceeweaver.com/newsletter (and receive a free book).

Blessings!