Blessing Blockers

Shrinking

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
— Romans 12:3 NIV

Our trust in God is not somehow separate from our belief in ourselves. For far too long we’ve been taught that believing unapologetically in ourselves is considered unspiritual or prideful.

To the contrary, divine trust and self-belief are linked together by the umbilical cord of purpose. We cannot fulfill our destiny with just one or the other; we need both. The Bible says not to think more highly of yourself than you should, but it doesn’t say not to think highly of yourself. The reason God wants you to have a strong, all-things-are-possible self-image is for the very purpose of being able to fulfill your purpose. You need a healthy and hearty self-image to even have the audacity to pursue all God has in store for you.

Notice that it doesn’t say you need a strong self-image to believe in God. It’s not enough to love God but not really like yourself. That’s not God’s will. But truth be told, many of us spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fix our faults or find a way to simply “live with” ourselves. If you don’t learn to celebrate yourself, you’ll settle for a life where you merely tolerate who you are. You’ll shrink. You’ll settle. You’ll take the leftovers and never go after what God has for you.

What if you really believed in your potential and power, not only your imperfections? There is nothing God-glorifying about hiding your anointing, gifts, and voice. The very nature of your existence is a supernatural permission slip! When God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), He was giving you permission to shine.

Excerpted from Blessing Blockers: Shrinking by Sarah Jakes Roberts.