Sabotaged!

By Andrea Boeshaar

God has a purpose and plan for each of us. How do I know? God says so in His Word, the Holy Bible. (See Jeremiah 29:11) But sometimes we sabotage Divine plans with negative thoughts and fears. The battlefield truly is the mind and we can be our own worst enemies. If we allow ourselves to wallow in discouragement, we lose all hope. Without hope, we fall into despair.

Last year I faced numerous trials. I always thought that if it had just been one thing, I could have handled it. However, I got dumped on–BIG TIME–and I confess that I didn’t handle myself in a godly manner. I buckled under the pressure. It was more than just saying, “I’m afraid” or “I can’t do it” or “I’m stressed.” No, instead I resided in that place.

As writers, it’s easy to self-sabotage ourselves when rejection letters come or a harsh critique brings tears to our eyes–or the publisher closes the line for which you were writing your book. That’s tough!

But God showed me many things as I struggled to find my way out of the darkness and back into His grace. Here are just four steps that I used. Perhaps they’ll help you too.

1) Attend church regularly. Faith comes by hearing God’s word. (See Romans 10:17)

2) Speak kindly and positively to others and yourself–even if you don’t feel like it. Words are powerful. (See Proverbs 18:21)

3) Control your thought processes and focus on those things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praise-worthy. (See Phil. 4:8)

4) Turn off the television! Take care of what enters through the “eye gate” and gets into your mind. The profane and immoral have ways of getting stuck there like gum on your shoe. (See Luke 11:33-34)

5) Lastly, find a coach. I hired Shawn Kuhn at Suzy Q. He was an awesome coach! He let me know he truly cared and found marketing niches that had never entered my mind. He encouraged me, and with God’s help, I found the confidence I needed to move forward with my writing career. Presently, I have 3 book contracts.

Are you a writer who is feeling sabotaged, either from your own negative thoughts or criticism from others? Don’t lose heart–or your mind. Make the decision to turn your thoughts around, trust the Lord and then watch how you’ll soar.

Andrea Boeshaar has been married for nearly 40 years. She and her husband have 3 wonderful sons, 1 beautiful daughter-in-law, and 5 precious grandchildren. Andrea’s publishing career began in 1994. Since then, 31 of her books have gone to press. Additionally, Andrea cofounded ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and served on its Advisory Board for a number of years. For more information, log onto her website, LIKE her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter: @AndreaBoeshaar.