What you believe about yourself is stronger than the potential you have.
God has created you with incredible potential with the intention you use it all. But the beliefs you have about yourself is what matters the most. For example, you can have the potential to be an astronaut but if you believe you don’t have what it takes or you believe you can’t be an astronaut then that’s what will happen.
Our negative beliefs about ourselves stop us from using all the potential God has given us. But enough of theories. I have proof of this principle from the word of God so let’s get into it.
The Israelites were God’s chosen people. They had incredible potential indeed. God was with them. From the time He led them out of Egypt to the Promise land He was with them. They had never know defeat, their clothes and shoes never wore out, they had a cloud to lead them by day and fire by night. So talk about potential. They finally reached the promise land and something interesting happened. The spies that went and spied out the land had a report for the people:
“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.”
“But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”
“We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Numbers 13: 26-33
Potential was not enough for the Israelites to obtain what God promised them. It boiled down to what they believed and what they believed stopped them from possessing the promise land save for Joshua and Caleb. They believed they couldn’t win. They believed they were grasshoppers. But remember, God had delivered them from the Egyptians, and looked after them in the desert.
That’s how powerful our beliefs are.
We need to take a long hard look at the beliefs we have. Where have we picked up the beliefs we currently hold? Are they from the word of God or from people around us? Our beliefs should be based on the word of God because the Word is truth. It doesn’t change and can’t be shaken. It is solid and is our foundation.
What you believe is important.
Let’s look at one more example. Gideon had so much potential in him. When the angel of the Lord appeared to him, he called him a mighty man of valor (Judges 6;1). That was the potential in him but for as long as Gideon could remember, he was made to believe something else. He was made to believe he was the least of the least which wasn’t true.
But the good news is that, God changed Gideon’s belief. The potential was always in him to be a mighty man of valor but work had to be done on his beliefs and when the belief changed he became what God created him to be! I love that.
I have had some crazy beliefs in the past about myself. Crazy, negative beliefs, but God has changed them. The outdated beliefs I held for so long have been changed and He continues to change them. Outdated, negative beliefs don’t change in a day. It takes time and it’s a process. God wants us to believe in Him. He wants us to believe in the promises and plans He has for us.
So as I come to the end of the post I want to encourage you to ask God to show you the beliefs that are holding you back and know that outdated, negative beliefs can be changed. God wants to help you.
“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom.”
Mark 15:37, 38
Jesus died on the cross so He could repair the bridge that had been destroyed in the beginning when Adam sinned.
When Adam sinned we were separated from God and that face to face intimate relationship was gone.
The new way of communication was a high priest who was the only one allowed into God’s presence, once a year.
So imagine having a need and not being able to pray directly to God. No matter what you were facing, you had to go to the high priest and tell him what you were going through, not God.
It’s so easy to take what we have been given for granted. But let’s not forget how privileged and blessed we are, to be able to enter God’s presence! We don’t need to wait for anyone if we are going through hard times. We can go boldly before His throne. We have been given an all access pass into His presence.
Because of what Jesus did, the door is open to us, not closed. The enemy would like us to believe that our sins disqualify us from entering God’s presence. He uses guilt and condemnation to achieve that purpose. But the door is wide open for us to run boldly into His presence to receive mercy and forgiveness.
Let’s not shrink back and try to go at life alone when the door is wide open for us. If we need help, the door is open. If we need strength, the door is open. For whatever we need, His door is open. He wants us to go to Him. That’s why the door is open.
You have an all access pass into God’s presence and not a day’s visa so use it!
On another note, I have started another blog. The blog was inspired by my other passion, children.
I have been serving in my church’s children’s ministry for fifteen plus years and still going on strong.
I will be talking about the experiences I have, lessons learned and mistakes made. The blog will also be focused on parents so I will be creating content for them too. I will posting bible lessons I have created, games I have played with children, activity sheets I have created and much more. So if you are a parent, or are serving in children’s ministry or you work with children then this blog is for you. I have left the link down below so head over there and follow me. I would appreciate it much.
“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!
As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Acts 23:11
We all have a purpose given by God and His desire is to see us accomplish it but the enemy doesn’t want us to accomplish it, he wants us to fail.
Paul had a clear mission from God. He would testify in Rome but a few hours after the angel spoke with him the enemy launched his attack,
“The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot.”
Acts 23:12
The enemy didn’t care that the Lord had spoken to him. He wanted to stop Paul but the good news is that he COULDN’T stop Paul, because God was with him. Paul did testify in Rome despite all the attempts from the enemy.
God has a calling on your life which the enemy will try to stop. But he will not succeed because God is with you. Trust Him fully.
We have a similar pattern in the story of Moses and the Israelites. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron to encourage His people that deliverance was coming. (Exodus 4:29-31)
But after receiving the promise instead of things getting better, things got worse for them. They were persecuted even more. (Exodus 5:6-15)
But as you know, the Lord delivered His people. The enemy tried to stop the call of God on their lives but once again he was powerless to stop it.
What the Lord has promised you will come to pass even when it seems like the enemy is winning. He will not stop the purpose God has for you.
So keep moving ahead in faith and even when things get tough, know that the devil will not be victorious over you. God is watching over you and will fulfill the purposes He planned for you.
It’s easy in difficult times to throw in the towel. The enemy wants you to give up but no matter how hard things get you must not give up because the Lord has amazing things in store for you and by not giving up you receive what God has for you.
Paul want through a lot in his life but through all that he faced he never gave up. For a run down of all the things he went though read,
2 Corinthians 11:23-26 but I want to focus on a specific story.
Paul was in Lystra ministering and had healed a lame man from birth. But some Jews came from Antioch convinced the people to stone him. When they thought he died they dragged the body outside the city but Paul had not died. And this is what I want to focus on.
Paul nearly lost his life but instead of quitting and giving up, he got up and carried on with his mission. Hewent to another town and this is what happened;
“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.”
Acts 14: 21, 22
There was no stopping Paul. At the end of his life he had this to say about his life,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7
What a testimony.
We can’t give up. In fact, we must refuse to give up. So through the hard times keep going. Trust God every step of the way and ask for His help because He helped Paul on his journey. There is a race to run and finish.
Bless you friends
Rolain
“Though she be but little, she is fierce.” -William Shakespeare Although I am not a reader of Shakespeare, and could not tell you from which play this quote comes, or of who or what he was referring, I still find such magic and an evocation of power in the words. “…if you have faith as […]
