I don’t think I can rises from a deeper I don’t think I am.
—John Maxwell
Self-limiting-beliefs are an idea or principle that is held within your heart and acts as a wall or roadblock to the path of manifesting your God-given purpose. The limitation is created when what you believe to be true negatively contradicts what is actually true, which forces your actions to work against you. I believe when you understand the destructive power of limiting beliefs you will more diligently resist its vices and break free from the lies it has created. It’s easy to assume that the fix to overcome self-limiting beliefs is to just try harder, do more, have more faith, pray more, etc. This was what I thought for years. I discovered that putting more effort into actions that are not yielding fruit will always produce a hopeless attitude because with each fruitless act, your faith diminishes.
More effort mixed with a self-limiting belief system equals stagnation. Placing faith, prayer, or any other spiritual discipline on top of self-limiting beliefs will not change the results. That’s the same as praying for an apple tree to produce oranges. If the seed isn’t right, the fruit will not be right. Your beliefs are seeds that will only produce the fruit, good or bad, that’s contained within. I found that I was progressing at a slow pace because I had the limiting belief that I did not deserve spiritual, emotional, and financial freedom. I believed I did not deserve to be 100 percent free to do all and be all God has called me to be. To my surprise, this belief had more power to direct my life than my efforts to break free from it. Why? Because beliefs are the road and your efforts are the vehicle. Changing the vehicle (efforts) does not change the road (beliefs). I had to come to the reality that though I had the right heart and intention to not embrace limitation, it was still manifesting in my life through low self-worth and the fear of success because my efforts did not transform the self-limiting image I had of myself.
Believe with unwavering conviction that you have something to give to the world, or the world will believe with unwavering conviction that you don’t.
Selling yourself short of your potential is one of the most common side effects of limiting beliefs. Being easily persuaded to see your ideas, your vision, and your goals in a manner that fits the narrative of what others think you are is toxic. Why? Because your beliefs and values are the reservoirs that your thoughts are drawn from. We all know that if you draw water from a well that is filled with dirt and bacteria, that same water will produce sickness if it is consumed. So it is with limited beliefs. Your thoughts, when turned into actions, will produce a limited life, so if you change your beliefs, you will change your life. Who you are is the fruit of who you believe yourself to be. Your beliefs are directly or indirectly connected to the foundation of every triumph or downfall in your life. You cannot hold on to any belief that is connected to indecision, fear, doubt, or insecurity and get up. What you believe creates thought patterns that enable you to embrace or reject what God wants to birth within you, whether that is a closer intimacy with Jesus Christ, growth in your character, or a greater understanding of your purpose. The beliefs you have of yourself can be the most empowering force against the enemy’s lies, or the beliefs you have of yourself can be the glue that keeps every destructive criticism and disappointment in your heart. Letting go of self-destructive beliefs is the first step before overcoming any obstacle that you face.
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