The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”

“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”

The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

(Judges 6:12, 15-16)

I have led much of my life ruled by fear: fear of failure, fear of success, fear of embarrassment, fear of disappointing others, fear of rejection, etc. This fear has led to some very self-limiting beliefs.

A self-limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that restricts you in some way. These beliefs are often false accusations you make about yourself that can cause a number of negative results. “I can’t speak in public.” “I’m too old to get in shape.” “I could never go back and get my degree.” “I can’t be a missionary.” “I can’t write a devotional.” 😉

This is the battlefield of the mind where our past experiences and associations mix with lies from Satan and others in our lives to form false narratives and self-limiting beliefs that keep us from living the full, abundant life that God has called us to. Satan is delighted with this because it keeps us on the sidelines of our own lives, never being all we can be. But an important part of our salvation is being made ‘whole’ which includes living our best lives as the best version ourselves living up to our highest potential for the glory of God.

So many times Christians hear people criticize the Bible for being ancient and irrelevant. However, digging deeper you can find inspirational stories of average people overcoming fear, depression, self-doubt and all kinds of limitations to do amazing feats for God because they moved into the realm of belief.

No self-limiting belief can stand in the face of Almighty God. “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”” (Luke 18:27) “For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

So, the next time you face God’s vision for your future and hear your script recite the familiar excuses, or hear Satan whispering the self-limiting lies, just remember...

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ (3 times!)
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was promiscuous
the Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once...)
Zacchaeus was too short
Paul was too religious
Timothy had stomach problems...
AND
Lazarus was dead!

(unknown author)

So, no more excuses! No more self-limiting beliefs. No more believing the accusations of Satan. Cling to the promises of God. God created you for a purpose. He created good works for you to do. God can use you to your full potential, which only He knows. And remember, in the end it’s not about you. You aren't the message; you are just the messenger.

Don’t stop believing,

Jen