Don’t let barriers – from the enemy, from the world’s culture, or from your own mind – keep you from doing all God has called you to do. Travel the path God has prepared for you with confidence. God promised to never leave you and He is on your side!
- “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:7, 11 NIV)
- “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV)
It’s time for you to become more familiar with God’s ability than the enemy’s obstacles. It’s time for you stop looking only at where you are and start looking at what you can be. It’s time for you to trust His strength within you more than your own dysfunctional thought patterns.
What restrictions or restraints have you put on yourself? What limits are you accepting that are hindering what God wants to do in your life? Where are you defeating yourself? In what areas of your life have you limited God’s ability inside of you?
I CAN’T BECAUSE ________.
What phrase do you put in the blank? I am just ordinary? I ain’t smart? I never have? I am only a ‘B’ student? I don’t have enough money? I’m scared? What might people say? I’m too heavy, too skinny, too short, too awkward . . .?
Too many folks never move further than the boundary of their self-imposed limitations. Gideon looked at circumstances and limited himself (Judges 6:11). God called Gideon “mighty warrior”, but Gideon quarreled and complained (Judges 6:13, 15). Don’t be like that! Stay out of your own way. Take the limits off your thoughts! Don’t fight with God. Surrender to His strength and use what He puts inside of you for His glory.
The Philistines possessed military superiority over the terrified Israeli army (1 Samuel 13:19-25), yet Jonathan displayed God-confidence in the face of the sizable force. Jonathan didn’t limit God’s ability. “’Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,’ Jonathan said to his armor bearer. ‘Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!’” (1 Samuel 14:6 NLT)
Jonathan was willing to take on an entire company of Philistines with only one guy standing with him. Jonathan went all MMA “using hands and feet” (14:6) on the enemy. His God-reliant exploit opened the door for victory not only for himself and his armor bearer but for the entire Israeli army. Follow Jonathan’s example!
Open your eyes to the possibilities around you. Believe God for what seems impossible for He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). Renew your mind with God’s Word.
Pick a barrier big enough to matter when you overcome it. Move toward the obstacle like Jonathan did – in faith, not fear! Stretch yourself to attempt something new or to do something differently.
Exercise God-confidence. Begin to take small steps toward your problem, and don’t quit. You may be stopped temporarily, but you are the only one who can stop you permanently. God is with you. You can move forward!
