The other day I walked into my house from work to find my 15 year old daughter standing near the door with the cutest little 6 month old baby girl in her arms. The baby's name was Isla, and she looked at me as I came in and immediately smiled, and stole my heart. I spent that evening "helping" my daughter with her babysitting tasks - I'm pretty sure I ended up doing more of the caring than she did, not because I didn't think she could do it, but because I just couldn't get enough of little Isla. I know this sounds crazy for a guy my age, but I have had several thoughts since that night that I would like to have more kids. I LOVED being a dad when my kids were little like that.
As I was sitting with little Isla in my lap, I thought about all the "discoveries" she was about to make. Soon she will "discover" that she can sit up. Then she'll "discover" that she can crawl, then walk, and then talk. I put the word discover in quotes because in reality she is going to use every ounce of her determination to do what is necessary to get herself to the point where she can do those things. What in her little mind could possibly make her BELIEVE that she can do what's necessary to actually achieve those things? Why doesn't she look at it and say, "Oh, I'm too weak to do any of that. I'll never be able to sit up or walk. What's the use?"
Of course she doesn't say that to herself, and God willing she will grow into a strong and healthy little girl that runs and plays, and then she will grow into an adolescent and eventually an adult. But somewhere along the journey of growing up, I'll bet good money that she'll lose that determination and belief in herself that she has as a baby. Studies show that 90% of our own self-talk is negative, and instead of BELIVEING we CAN, most of us spend our time beating ourselves up and coming with reasons, excuses, and rationalizations on why we can't do certain things. Sure, many of us have confidence in our own abilities to a point. Some have more than others and end up achieving more in kind. But my question is, do any of us really achieve our fullest God given potential?
The Bible says that we are all "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps 139:14) and also says that we are all "made in God's image" (Gen 1:27), and I believe that. I don't believe that we are just a higher evolved form of animal. So if we are made in God's image, which of the scenarios in little Isla's life best represent that? Is it the determination and belief of the little baby, or is it the self-conscious and self-limiting beliefs of most adults? If it's the determination and belief of the baby, and we aren't living our lives with that same determination and belief, are we actually dis-honoring God with our lives? And what can we do to get ourselves back on the track of living with that belief in ourselves?
Well, if you were looking for me to have answers to these questions, I'm sorry to disappoint. I struggle with the same self-limiting beliefs that I'm guessing most of you do. I am determined to find the answers, however, so if I make any "discoveries" I'll be sure to blog about them. I do think I've stumbled on a couple clues, and I'll leave you with them.
As is apparent by the title of this post and what I've alluded to to this point, I think the first clue is BELIEF. I looked up the definition of belief and found this:
acceptance of truth of something: acceptance by the mind that something is true or real, often underpinned by an emotional or spiritual sense of certainty
What do you believe about God's intention for your life, and what do you believe about yourself and your abilities? Whatever the answer to those questions are, we live our lives accordingly. I've heard people ask the question, "What would you attempt to accomplish if you knew (believed) you could not fail?" That's a fun question to ponder in the hypothetical, but how much "belief" would be required for you to "know" with certainty you could not fail?
The second clue is TRUST, and it may be the required predecessor to belief. There are many facets to trust that I need to explore and understand. Do you trust that you are made in God's image, and therefore have the power of God within you? Do you trust that God doesn't make any mistakes and that you are here for a purpose? Do you trust that God wants what is best for you? Do you trust the promptings of God in your heart, or do you listen to what others say you should or should not do?
We are all on a journey. It would be a shame to get to the end of that journey and find out that we left a bunch of love, joy, and peace unfulfilled because of our own limiting beliefs.
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