A glass ceiling is an invisible hindrance that you are not fully aware of, intended to limit your success. As a woman in the business world, I have encountered glass ceilings at every level and in every organization. Many times, a glass ceiling is unintentional and merely needs to be acknowledged to be addressed and removed. There are, however, times when a glass ceiling in an organization is based on the premise, “This is how we have always done things and there is no reason to change a system that works.” The irony of this premise is that their system will not continue to work well because it keeps future leaders from reaching their potential.
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A glass ceiling is a tool the enemy uses to distract or derail you from fulfilling your purpose. There are glass ceilings inside your mind that impose unconscious limitations on you. These are almost entirely based on past experiences and frequently, we are looking up, searching for the hindrance, but we simply don’t see what is holding us back.
I have firsthand experience with this one. Without knowing it, I had placed a glass ceiling on dating and committing to the possibility of a second husband. After becoming a widow suddenly and traumatically, I had unconsciously boxed myself into a place where I thought my heart would be safe from any future trauma. I almost pushed Dave away because I couldn’t break through the glass ceiling I thought was protecting me. The Lord used my friends, the Word and an Executive Retreat at Bethel Church in Redding, CA to break through my self-imposed glass ceiling.
Thinking back on that time, I am abundantly thankful to both Dave and the Lord for not quitting on me. My amazing husband Dave is a gift from the Lord that I am grateful for every day. God is patient, but He is also faithful to do what He says He will do. He can do a new thing in your life and supernaturally break through any glass ceiling that is keeping you from fulfilling your purpose today. Ask Him what is holding you back and He will show you. It is the enemy who hides and deceives, but it is the Lord who reveals and heals.
Breaking Through,
Karen Conrad