As I began to study the Word of God, I realized that God loved me as His own beloved child. My heavenly Father's love, abundant blessing, and divine favor had been poured out on me!

I discovered that God believed only good things about me. He knew that He had blessed me with gifts, talents, and abilities uniquely my own, and He knew that He would call me to preach and teach His Word.

God thought I had potential! And I began to defeat the devil's lies with the truth of God's Word about me.

I loved to play basketball at home with my brothers. Well, the coach hardly ever let me play in school-sponsored games because I was so timid and made so many mistakes.

But once I learned that I was entitled to walk in God's supernatural favor as His own daughter, I stopped seeing myself as the rejected Kate and saw myself walking hand-in-hand with Father God.

I made a conscious decision to see myself the way God sees me.

My faith worked! I was no longer timid and shy with my coach and the members of the basketball team. I had become a brand-new person! Just about everyone I knew was shocked that the once shy, timid Kate had been transformed into one of the top basketball players on that high school's team.

The Kate who hadn't been able to give an oral book report without thinking I would faint was now preaching the Gospel! Classmates looked to me as a spiritual leader, and I led many of them to Christ as they witnessed the dramatic changes in my life.

I am living proof that in Christ we are more than conquerors. Romans 8:37 says, "...in all these things [including intimidating rejection and its debilitating effects] we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

We must have faith, believe God's Word is true, and act on it.

Source: Conquering Intimidation by Kate McVeigh
All rights reserved. Used by permission.