Are You Limiting Yourself?
Are you unknowingly putting limits on yourself? Let me rephrase that. How often are you saying “I can’t”?
Believe it or not, I fight a constant battle with the belief that I can’t read a book or watch a video during regular 8-to-5 work hours. Doesn’t matter that the book or video is educational and teaching me something I need to know. If I’m not in front of my computer, I feel like I’m not really working. How silly is that?
Yet that quiet, authoritative, demanding voice in my head—you know, the one your parents used when they meant business—works to control how I spend my day.
I know those voices come from my childhood, but until I renew my mind, I will continue to fight that battle.
What voices are you listening to? Something like…
- “Who are you to write that book?”
- “Create your own website? You’re not tech savvy enough to do that.”
- “You can’t afford professional editing.”
Those negative voices beat you down and keep you from fully stepping into what God has called you to be—a writer.
And they put limits on yourself. The Bible tells us that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13 NKJV). The Bible is chock-full of similar verses.
Already Provided
When God created the world, He provided everything we’d need. He isn’t caught off guard by anything, so He isn’t scrambling to create something today that we needed yesterday.
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:3–4a NKJV emphasis added).
A quick grammar lesson here (don’t zone out). “Has given” is the present perfect tense, which means “an action or event that began at an unspecified time in the past and extends into the present, with no clear boundary that terminates the event or action” (Writer’s Digest Grammar Desk Reference).
This verse tells me God has already provided and will continue to provide everything I need to accomplish His purpose for my life here on Earth.
Yes, if you are a believer, He has a purpose for you. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10 NKJV). Don’t let that intimidate you. He’s invested in your success. He isn’t going to leave you floundering to find your own way. If you doubt that, read this post from my blog over at DebraLButterfield.com.
Here’s a verse that speaks to your success: “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed” (Prov. 16:3 NLT). When we partner with the Holy Spirit who resides in every believer, He will teach and guide us. But we have to listen and obey.
Putting an End to Your Limits
Putting an end to your limits takes action on your part, but don’t hinder yourself by believing it has to be hard work.
- Become aware of the lies you believe. If you struggle consistently in an area, that’s a good sign a lie is keeping you limited. Ask the Lord to reveal your false beliefs in this area. Here’s a simple prayer you can start with: “Lord, show me what I’m believing about _______ (fill in the blank) that’s a lie.” Attack those lies one at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. Be encouraged because the Word says: “Every plant [lie] not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted” (Matt. 15:13 NLT).
- Replace the lies with the truth from God’s Word. This is what Romans 12:2 calls renewing your mind. Affirming and meditating on applicable verses plants that seed of truth in your spirit. You’ll need to nurture it so it will grow to the point where you can envision that truth within yourself. Then you’ll behave from the truth, not the lie, and that previous limit will be gone.
- Speak only the truth, not what the present circumstances are. “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov. 18:20–21 NKJV). Our words have creative power! For good or bad. God created us in His likeness, and He spoke the world into being. We create our lives with our words.
Conclusion
You are called to be a writer. Don’t limit yourself through your beliefs or words. When you do, you are also limiting God from fully working in your life. Find a Scripture or two or three (as many as needed) that speak to you and post them around the house to continually remind you of the truth until it is firmly rooted in your spirit.
You are a writer. You can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength you need for the job.
Related resources:
“When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered” podcast
“Be Strong and Courageous” blog post