Who Told You That?

by Tracie Miles

This is your moment. You’ve finally mustered the courage to climb out of “creative hiding.”  You’ve carved out a sliver of time to write without the threat of distraction. You rush to open your computer. Your fingers itch to untangle the thread of words in your imagination and weave the story together.

Then you hear it: “Who are you to tell this story? Who are you to write anything? Who wants to hear what you have to say?” Your stomach drops. And suddenly, you remember that (not-so) urgent task you’ve been putting off for months. Your story can wait, can’t it? Back to hiding. 

We all know the slithering sound of that slimy voice. We try to shut it out with a well-timed worship song, but sometimes even those chart-topping anthems can’t drown out the doubt. Soon, the soundtrack in our heads is a repetitive chorus of “I’m not good enough.” Just like the “It’s a Small World” song, we can’t seem to get it out of our heads.

Remember the first garden with Adam and Eve? After that perilous bite of forbidden fruit, the first humans hear God calling for them. They know their Father’s voice, and yet they hide because shame tells them that they are naked. God asks them, “‘… Who told you that you were naked?’” (Genesis 3:11).

So now I ask you, my sister, who told you that you weren’t good enough? Who told you that your words are meaningless? Who told you that doubt could steal your gift one whisper at a time?

There’s only one voice propelling that narrative: the enemy’s. He hides behind his evil words and tries to pass them off as yours. 

In Jesus’ name, friend, the enemy holds no power over you.

The next time you hear those voices clouding your courage and scaring you back into hiding, please ask yourself, “Who told me that?”

And then immediately discredit that voice. Sister, send it straight back to the pit of hell where it belongs.

Instead, seek the still, small voice. The one calling you out of hiding.

Write your story. When those lies come a-calling, make sure to ask “Who told me that?” before taking a bite of that forbidden fruit.

By Renna Nightingale, COMPEL Training Member 

Tracie Miles

Tracie Miles has been the Director of COMPEL Training at Proverbs 31 Ministries since January 2017, and has been volunteering on the speaker and writer teams for Proverbs 31 since 2007. Tracie is an author coach who works one on one with writers of all levels to help them pursue their writing dreams, and can be found at www.traciemiles.com. She is the author of seven bestselling books, including Living Unbroken, Love Life Again, Unsinkable Faith, Stress Less Living and Your Life Still Counts, and has a new book releasing July 2024 called God's Got You: Embracing New Beginnings With Courage and Confidence. She is also the founder of the national Living Unbroken Divorce Recovery Program, a 7 week study series to help women heal and recover together. Tracie has three grown children, two of whom are married, and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can connect with Tracie on her website at www.traciemiles.com as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

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