Spiritual Growth – Page 18 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

In MY VICTORY VOYAGE I’m sharing the trials I’ve faced and how God’s faithfulness carried me through. Join me on the 2nd Friday of each month in 2025 as we reflect on His restoration and grace.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NIV)

What if the Real Barrier Is What I Believe?

For years I believed lies like: I’m not good enough. I’m not smart. No one likes me. I can’t do anything right. It wasn’t until 2007 that I began to reprogram my brain—not just with positive affirmations, but by confessing God’s Word over myself and my life.

So many women live under these same lies. These limiting beliefs become invisible barriers, creating a self-imposed ceiling that keeps us from living freely—simply because we’ve believed something that isn’t true.

Limiting Beliefs: The Invisible Chains

Limiting beliefs are false narratives we believe about ourselves, others, or even God. They often take root in childhood wounds, painful experiences, or cultural pressures.

And while they’re not true, they feel true—because we live from them as if they were reality.

In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks calls this the Upper Limit Problem—when we subconsciously believe we’ve reached the highest point we’re allowed to go. But what if those ceilings are just lies dressed up as protection?

Scripture calls them strongholds—entrenched thought patterns rooted in fear, shame, and unworthiness. The good news? God’s truth has divine power to demolish them.

The Biblical Diagnosis: Strongholds of the Mind

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 gives us God’s battle plan for overcoming these mental strongholds. Lies become mental fortresses when we repeat them to ourselves day after day. Eventually, they freeze us in fear—keeping us from stepping into healing, purpose, and freedom.

Tracing the Root

One of the most powerful things I’ve done is simply ask the Lord: Where did this lie come from? Why do I still believe it?

Over the years, He’s gently revealed the roots—where the lie began and how I can begin to uproot it with truth.

God’s Word Sets Us Free

In The Answer to Anxiety, Joyce Meyer writes:

“Satan’s number one weapon against believers is deception. When we are deceived, we believe lies. Even though they are lies, they become realities to us if we believe them, and we cannot move past them until we learn the truth. God’s Word is truth, and if we discipline ourselves to learn it and meditate on it regularly, it will renew our minds.”

That hits home, doesn’t it? Sometimes the walls holding us back aren’t even real—they’re lies we’ve mistaken for truth.

Breaking the Barrier: A Victory Practice

Here’s a simple exercise you can do:

1. Ask God to show you a lie you’ve been believing.
2. Write it down in your journal.
3. Find a verse in a trusted study Bible (like the Life Application Bible) that speaks truth over that lie.
4. Write that verse down and post it where you’ll see it daily.
5. Speak it aloud over yourself until truth takes root.

Freedom begins when truth replaces the lie!

Walking in Freedom

The lies I shared earlier once defined me—but most have now been extinguished by God’s Word. Still, this is ongoing work. Some strongholds run deep, and healing takes time. Satan knows our weaknesses and will try to revive old lies through memories and triggers.

But here’s what I’ve learned: when I stay faithful in my quiet time with the Lord—especially in studying Scriptures that speak to the battle—I always find my way back to truth, peace, and victory.

Worship Response:
One song that ministers deeply to me in this area is “Sound Mind” by Bryan & Katie Torwalt. If you’re in a season of tearing down mental strongholds, let this song wash over you. It’s a powerful reminder that God has given you a sound mind, and His Spirit brings peace, not fear.

Summary: Chapter Six – God’s Answer: Reconciliation

In this chapter, McGee explains that God’s solution to our craving for approval is reconciliation—a restored relationship with Himself through Christ. Instead of striving to gain acceptance from people (which is always conditional and unstable), we can rest in the unchanging truth that God has already accepted us completely and unconditionally. Through reconciliation, the hostility and distance caused by sin is gone, and we are invited into intimacy, peace, and security with God. Our need for human approval fades in the light of His unwavering acceptance.

“We are not working our way toward God’s love—we are already embraced by it.” – Paraphrase from Robert S. McGee

Biblical Truths

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 – “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… not counting people’s sins against them.”
- God has restored our relationship with Him through Christ, removing all barriers of sin and shame.
Romans 5:10–11 – “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son… how much more… shall we be saved through His life!”
- Even when we were far from God, He pursued us and made reconciliation possible.
Colossians 1:21–22 – “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies… but now He has reconciled you… to present you holy in His sight, without blemish.”
We are not defined by our past or our sin—we are made blameless through reconciliation.

Practical Application

Receive the Gift – Spend 5–10 minutes each day in quiet reflection, simply thanking God that you are already accepted and reconciled through Christ. Let it soak into your soul.
Release Human Approval – Write down a few ways you seek acceptance from others (people-pleasing, overcommitting, fear of rejection). Then, surrender them in prayer, one by one.
Practice Reconciliation – Is there someone in your life you’re distant from? Ask God for the courage to take a first step toward peace—whether through prayer, a message, or simply letting go of past hurt.

My Personal Reflections

Reconciliation has been one of the most healing truths I’ve ever encountered. For years, I operated under the belief that I had to perform, prove, and please my way into being “enough”—even for God. I knew Jesus had saved me, but I still secretly felt like I had to keep Him impressed to stay in His good graces.

But the truth is, Jesus already made the way for me to be fully accepted. I don’t have to earn God’s love—it’s already mine. That realization continues to soften my heart and settle my spirit. It’s also helping me extend grace to others in my life, especially where there’s been distance or misunderstanding. Reconciliation with God opens the door to healing in all our relationships.

Friend, if you’ve been wearing yourself out trying to win love or approval—from people, or even from God—please hear this: You already have it. You are fully known, deeply loved, and completely accepted in Christ. Nothing you do can add to that. Nothing you fail to do can take it away.

Next month, we’ll explore Chapter 7: The Blame Game and uncover how guilt and shame keep us stuck—but also how God has already made a way out through His forgiveness.

Until then, remember:
Come as you are. You are reconciled. You are at peace. You are home. 💗