Get Your Spirit Back: Break Free of Negative Self-Talk and Step Fully Into Your Calling

by Earl McClellan, Louie Giglio (Foreword by)

Overview

In this bold call to find your purpose, a sought-after speaker and devoted pastor inspires you to show up to your life with God-given confidence by moving beyond insecurity and negative self-talk.

“In a world focused on the exterior, Earl McClellan reveals that real transformation always begins within.”—Rich Wilkerson, lead pastor of VOUS Church

What if the main thing holding you back in life is . . . you?

Pastor Earl McClellan knew he’d been given a gift for leadership, yet too often whenever the time came to speak up, he would shy away. He passed the spotlight to others until God challenged him to stop sidestepping his calling. Now a speaker and church founder, McClellan shares how he learned to break free from the prisons of insecurity, negativity, and confusion.

In this manifesto of courage and purpose, McClellan draws fresh insights from the life of the unlikely biblical hero Gideon to help you do the same. Discover how to

• identify when God is speaking and when you’re overthinking
• replace insecurity with God-given confidence
• follow God’s call with bold humility
• engage God’s presence, power, and favor wherever you go

If you’ve ever felt you had more to give—leadership, courage, kindness—but have struggled to fully unleash these qualities, Get Your Spirit Back is the catalyst you need. Liberate yourself from the mindset holding you back and stand in the confidence of who God made you to be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593445648
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.42(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

Earl McClellan is the founder and lead pastor of Shoreline City Church, a thriving faith community with campuses throughout Texas and Guatemala. McClellan, his wife Oneka, and their pastoral team have a mission to make it on earth as it is in heaven. McClellan is a frequent speaker at influential events both in the States and overseas. His love for people, humor, vulnerability, and strong leadership have brought hope and strength to people in all walks of life. McClellan, Oneka, their three children, and a dog he’s still not too sure about live in Dallas.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

More in You

Do you ever sense you were put on this earth for more? A feeling that you’re destined to touch more lives and make a bigger impact? Are you yearning to make a difference? And yet something keeps you feeling stuck—immobile, frustrated, and confused.

Maybe people think you’re full of confidence, void of insecurities, and ready to conquer the world. But there’s a voice in your head that says otherwise, and that voice is so loud and convincing—it intimidates, bullies, and lies with precision and ease.

I know that voice.

I know what it’s like to be in a board meeting, realize the discussion is leaving out an important perspective, and your heart tells you to speak up. But the voice of insecurity tells you to be quiet. And while you’re being indecisive, the conversation turns to another topic and you’ve missed your chance.

I know what it’s like to chat with friends and sense God telling you to pray for someone, but the fear of making everyone feel weird keeps you silent. You tuck away the prompt, mumble an apology to God, and shuffle out with another burden on your shoulders.

I know how it feels to long for a better, healthier, more confident future—so much you can taste it. But every time you take a step forward, something pushes you back and says,

“Sit down.”

“Be quiet.”

“No one will understand.”

“You will look like a fool.”

“You will look greedy.”

“You will look desperate.”

All these comments and so many more come to us from within. And they force us back into a box we know we weren’t built for.

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then I’m confident that your finding this book is no mere coincidence. I want you to know I see you. You’re kind, resilient, admired, called, and ridiculously loved by God. All that is true. And yet . . .

I see you quitting before you ever start.

I see you disqualifying yourself before you apply.

I see you concerned about what your friends and family will think.

I see you talking yourself out of opportunities before they reach your inbox.

I see you living under the radar.

I see you because I’m just like you.

I played Division I basketball in college. I was a freshman walk-on, which meant I tried out and made the team. The Hall of Fame basketball coach Bill Self was in his first season as a head coach. Going into the Christmas break, we had six wins and six losses. After the break, we lost fifteen straight games. Fifteen. It was a nightmare. I had never lost that many games in a row in my life. We ended the season 6–21. (As an aside, I worked my way into a starting role my freshman year, partially because so many guys got kicked off the team and partially because I played so hard on defense.)

In my sophomore year, we went 10–17 and ended the season on a multiple-game winning streak, and in my junior year, we started 5–0. We got a Top 25 team vote, which was huge for a small mid-major school.

So we entered a game in Iowa ranked as one of the top fifty teams in the Division I schools (of which there were more than three hundred). I was the point guard (essentially the quarterback in basketball), and we were losing by just a few points when Coach Self called a time-out. He looked me in the eye and told me to take the ball down the court and make a basket for the team. We got back on court, I dribbled past my man, and I passed the ball to one of my trusted teammates. He took a corner three-point shot and missed. The buzzer sounded, and we lost the game.

In the locker room after the game, one of the assistant coaches sat me down. He put his arm around me and summarized the battle I’ve faced most of my life: “Earl, Coach told you to shoot the ball. He didn’t tell you to pass it.”

I was happy to give 110 percent to my team. I was happy to hustle hard. Set an example. Be challenged and play my part. I was happy to call plays. I was happy to be a leader, but I was not comfortable with people ever thinking I was putting myself above the team. I never wanted to be seen as selfish or arrogant, a ball hog. So when Coach Self told me to shoot the ball, I felt that my teammates might think I was posturing, so I passed the ball instead.

And I lived this way for far too long. I give 110 percent. I work hard. I’m a great teammate. But if a moment comes when I’m supposed to step out and I suspect people will think I’m being prideful, I’ll too often pass rather than take a shot. Because no one can think a person who gives 110 percent and shares the ball is full of pride, right? But make no mistake about it—it is pride. And this false humility has held me chained for decades.

When I was about fifteen, my mentor took me to lunch and told me, “Earl, I really want to tell you something, but I’m not sure you want to hear it.”

Well, I’m a 3 on the Enneagram. They tell me that makes me an Achiever. I was anxious to know what I needed to know, but I didn’t want to hear criticism. He said,

“Earl, you are prideful and rebellious.”

Then I punched him in the face. I’m just kidding! I didn’t. Those words actually made me want to punch myself in the face. It hurt me that bad to know I was letting my mentor down.

Looking back as an adult and a pastor, I would counsel mentors to use different words and to avoid attaching a person’s behavior to their identity, especially when they’ve been made new in Christ. But those words hit me. Prideful. Rebellious. I think all these years, in a lot of ways, I’ve been trying to run as far from those words as possible. And in running from them, I’ve found myself shrinking back, living with too much fear, not stepping up to my full potential. To others, my life can look great. But I know I have more to give. And you have more in you as well.

I can see you because I see me. I have foolishly imprisoned myself. I confused humility with disobedience, kindness with fear, and confidence with arrogance. For too long I’ve allowed the grace of God to save me from my old life but not carry me completely into the new life He purposed for me.

For too long I’ve allowed the grace of God to save me from my old life but not carry me fully into the new life He purposed for me.

So in this safe place between you, me, and the page, let me ask, Who must get out of the way so you can step fully into who God purposed you to be?

My answer is probably the same as yours: Me.

But I’m done. I’m done with the second-guessing. I’m done with the timidity. I’m done with the negativity. I’m done with the hiding. I’m done with the fear, and I’m done with the doubt.

Let’s take a journey together. Let’s grow together. Let’s mature together. Let’s be transformed together.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2024

In this rousing debut, pastor McClellan invites Christians who feel adrift or insecure to “stand in the confidence of who God made you to be.” Encouraging readers to find self-worth in their intrinsic, God-given value—rather than “worldly” markers of success like social media followers, degrees, or accolades—he explains how to release resentments and avoid comparisons to others. By way of example, McClellan writes that praying for those he envied helped him see them “the way wants them to be seen.” Discussing how to tackle challenges in moments of fear, McCellan cites the biblical story of Gideon, who followed God’s commands to tear down pagan idols despite being scared of provoking the ire of his father and others. What emerges is a mostly convincing manual for how Christians can build confidence, though McClellan undermines his efforts with some awkward analogies (he assures readers who feel like “discounted shirts” that have been overlooked or damaged that “you don’t lose your worth... because someone spilled something on you”). Flaws aside, it’s an uplifting guide to finding strength in one’s faith. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Earl McClellan speaks faith and confidence to the soul. You will gain practical wisdom and deep spiritual insight that will reinvigorate you from the inside out. In a world focused on the exterior, McClellan reveals that real transformation always begins within.”—Rich Wilkerson, lead pastor of VOUS Church

“Get Your Spirit Back will help identify what’s been holding you back and give you the courage and tools needed to break free and become the person God created you to be—full of faith, fearlessness, and adventure. Earl McClellan opens up about his own struggle with doubt and anxiety—and how he silenced the voices that were causing him to shrink back, embracing the truth God was declaring over his life. If you know deep down that God has more in store for you, this book will help you discover it in your life.”—J. Todd Mullins, senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Church

“I grew up around horses and have been bucked off many times. However, I always climbed back in the saddle because the first time I was hurled to the ground, my dad scooped me up from the dirt, wiped the tears off my five-year-old face, and told me I was a good rider. He said it with such compassion and conviction that I believed him. My dear friend Pastor Earl McClellan is the kind of spiritual father who, through genuine compassion and biblically sound conviction, encourages weary and wounded image bearers to shake off the dust of disillusionment and self-doubt and get back on the proverbial horse of our God-imbued purpose. Having the breath knocked out of you is a short—albeit jarring—inconvenience. But losing your spirit can hijack your hope altogether. Get Your Spirit Back is a timely, necessary, and potentially life-saving message.”—Lisa Harper, author and Bible teacher

“This book is written to inspire, encourage, and challenge. My dear friend Earl McClellan fills these pages with honesty, openness, and transparency. This all results in us getting our spirits back!”—Tim Ross, CEO of Upset the World

“In Get Your Spirit Back, Pastor Earl McClellan masterfully addresses the struggles we have all faced (or will face) with self-doubt and insecurity. You’ll be empowered to overcome negative self-talk and embrace your true calling. This book is a powerful, inspiring, practical guide to finding the confidence and courage needed to step into your God-given potential and break free from what holds you back.”—Levi Lusko, author of The Last Supper on the Moon

“You were born on purpose and for a purpose. In Get Your Spirit Back, Earl McClellan inspires us to focus on God’s strength within us and not on our limitations. This book will help you step into your God-given purpose with courage and confidence. With God, all things are possible.”—Christine Caine, founder of A21 and Propel Women

From the Publisher