The content from this blog comes from Karen Conrad and corresponds to episode 59 of The WealthBuilders Podcast, ‘How to Live Limitless.’
We all have false beliefs or past experiences that hold us back from living fully in what God has for us. The goal of this blog post is to provide you with the biblical encouragement you need to live limitless. Maybe you’re aware of what’s holding you back. Or perhaps your strongholds hide in your subconscious. In an effort to identify and attack your constraints, this blog post will detail five things that might be keeping you from living limitless.
Heavenly Resources
Matthew 13:13 & 16 (AMP) “This is the reason that I speak to the crowds in parables. Because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things.]”
“But blessed, [spiritually aware and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear.”
You carry the resources of heaven. If you are in Christ, you bring value, increase, and opportunity wherever you go! How often do we live like that, though? Strangely enough, our gravitation toward self-conscious and subtle behavior reminds me of domesticated elephants.
Let me explain. When an elephant is young and small, his owner will chain them to a large tree. The young elephant will try to break free of the chain, but because they’re so small and the tree is so large, they cannot. After several failed attempts, the elephant submits to the idea that they cannot break free when they have a chain around their neck. Eventually, they stop trying. That is why a grown, 7-ton elephant chained to a small piece of wood lodged in the ground won’t try to break free—even though they could.
Sometimes experiences, negative words, or a lack of positive mentorship can cause us to feel like an elephant. We feel stuck, even if the truth tells us otherwise. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” We can count on the Word of God to illuminate the way as we demolish our limiting beliefs.
With that, here are the top 5 things that keep people from living limitless:
1. Past Experiences
When you hold onto the old, there isn’t room for the new. Trauma, mistakes, and bad relationships are just some of the pain points that can cause us to drift away from our current season. Remember that you are a new creation in Christ– not just reformed or refurbished, but brand new. Psalm 45:10 (TPT) provides encouraging direction— “Now listen, daughter, forget about your past. Put behind you every attachment to the familiar, even those who were once close to you!” Ask God to help you exchange the filter of the past for the filter of Truth.
2. Fear of Man
If you value approval more than you value obedience to God, you are living with the fear of man. If we’re not careful, what people think of us can become our identity. It can become a vicious cycle because any identity we receive from the applause of man must be sustained by the applause of man. This creates a dependency on people’s approval, and it makes it really difficult to follow God’s direction. Not only that, but you’ll never emerge into who you were created to be—you’ll be an echo of other people’s desires. If you’re afraid to take a leap of faith because of what other people might think, it’s time to remove those limitations from your life. Pray that God will give you the strength to live out Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV): “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
3. Past Sin
Unrepented sin can cause feelings of unworthiness, guilt, shame, and cause us to believe that we deserve negative things that happen in our life. However, when we understand the power of what Jesus did, we can walk in eternal life now! God wants us to see our past, present, and future selves the way He sees us—pure and worthy through the blood of Jesus. If you’re clinging onto past sin, what did Jesus even die for? If past sin is an area where you have limitations, consider Isaiah 53:5 (ESV), “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
4. Believing Lies
Ultimately, lies come from the enemy—all he can do is lie! (John 8:44) If I was your enemy, I would work hard to convince you that you’re worthless so you’d feel powerless against me. That’s why it is so important to learn how to measure the Truth of who God says you are against the lies of the enemy. Is there something you want or someone you’d like to be, but you feel like it’s impossible? Pray on what Philippians 4:13 (NKJV, emphasis mine) means for you: “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.”
5. Pride
We often think of pride as being obnoxious, arrogant, and obvious, but it also has a subtle side. A prideful person puts their trust in their own abilities more than they do God. The result is that they limit their lives to the natural realm when God wants to elevate it to the supernatural! Be careful that you don’t elevate your own shortcomings more than you exalt God’s power. When you’re following God, He will call you into the unknown. Pastor Mark Batterson puts it this way: “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” Pray 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT); that God may expand your capacity to trust Him instead of your own strength: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”