Do you consistently make excuses for why you are not doing something that you know for a fact that God wants you to do?
Are you allowing your feelings and emotions to lead you?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are in your own way. We all have been guilty at some point or another or maybe right at this moment, of getting in our own way of doing something that God wants us to do. It is gratifying for our egos to blame someone or something else for things not going right in our lives. While there are some things we cannot control, there are many things that God has given us some control over and free will. God has given us free will to make decisions that will be good for us spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.
There have been so many times over the years that I have gotten in my own way. It doesn't matter who has said what to me or about me; how I process and hold on and sometimes let go of things, is what matters in determining whether I can move forward and succeed or hold myself back from the abundant life that God has for me. God wants us to live abundantly and so many of us live in lack because of our mindsets, allowing ill feelings to lead us, and not serving others on a consistent basis.
Take a moment and think to yourself, in what ways have I held myself back from the promises of God?
Have you not forgiven someone that may have hurt or upset you?
Have you forgiven yourself for past mistakes or do you beat yourself up every chance you get? Are you bitter?
Do you lack the confidence in yourself to do the things that God has called you to do?
These are just some questions we can start asking ourselves to see if we are holding ourselves back from moving towards what God wants us to have and how God wants us to live. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are holding yourself back.
If we know we are holding ourselves back, we have to consistently pray and ask God to remove whatever it is (be specific), that is causing us to not be pleasing to God and that is holding us back from living the way God wants us to live. We have to be willing to consistently work on ourselves and changing the negative attitudes, behaviors, emotions, habits and patterns that are holding us back; some of us may need spiritual counseling or therapy by someone we trust. If you are seeking therapy or counseling, pray and ask God to give you discernment about who to talk to. We need to be aware of when we are being negative and ask ourselves, why we are being this way and does it hurt us or someone else.
We can actually block or get in the way of our own blessings by allowing impure hearts, bad attitudes, ill feelings, ill intentions and unforgiveness to build up on the inside of us. Address the things that are causing the negative feelings and let it go. When we are serving others, we have to allow humility to show up in us. We are not going to always feel like doing what God wants us to do or we may allow our feelings to get in the way of what God wants us to do but we have to get out of our feelings and out of our own way and do what God wants us to do, so God gets the glory. When we consistently serve others, God will allow us to live an abundant life. We should be honored to work for the kingdom of God and if we are not and we don't feel like doing what God called us to do or are afraid, then we need to pray and ask God to remove that spirit in us and ask God to show us how to be more like Him.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. -John 10:10 (NKJV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. -Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
