Overcoming Self-Doubt
“I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. So he got up and went to his father.” - Luke 15:17-20
If you want to get your life back on track, you must start by taking responsibility. But after taking responsibility, you then must take the steps to overcome. Overcome what, you ask? Self-doubt, opposition, and shame. Today, let’s talk about self-doubt.
When you read Luke 15, the story of the Prodigal Son, you will find a boy who left his father with his inheritance, only to squander it. After hitting rock bottom, he plans to return home. We do not know how far away the young man was when he went into a distant country, but we can suspect it was not next door or around the corner.
So he is a long way from home, and he is now broke with no money for a taxi ride home. And so, given the distance, and the terrain, along with the temperature (it was hot), he must have questioned whether or not he could do it. It is difficult. It is far. And it will not be easy.
But he did it. And I want to encourage you, if you are dealing with self-doubt, wondering if you really can make that change, turn your life around, quit that addiction, let go of the bitterness, turn from sin. The Prodigal Son did it and you can too. It does not matter how long it takes. It will take hard work. It will require discipline, but you can turn your life around.
God will not force you, He is your guide, but it will also require effort on your part. God will give you His strength. If it is in His will (which obedience always is), He will give you all you need. But you must leave the doubt behind.
If you want to get your life back on track, you must start by taking responsibility. But after taking responsibility, you then must take the steps to overcome. Overcome what, you ask? Self-doubt, opposition, and shame. Today, let’s talk about self-doubt.
When you read Luke 15, the story of the Prodigal Son, you will find a boy who left his father with his inheritance, only to squander it. After hitting rock bottom, he plans to return home. We do not know how far away the young man was when he went into a distant country, but we can suspect it was not next door or around the corner.
So he is a long way from home, and he is now broke with no money for a taxi ride home. And so, given the distance, and the terrain, along with the temperature (it was hot), he must have questioned whether or not he could do it. It is difficult. It is far. And it will not be easy.
But he did it. And I want to encourage you, if you are dealing with self-doubt, wondering if you really can make that change, turn your life around, quit that addiction, let go of the bitterness, turn from sin. The Prodigal Son did it and you can too. It does not matter how long it takes. It will take hard work. It will require discipline, but you can turn your life around.
God will not force you, He is your guide, but it will also require effort on your part. God will give you His strength. If it is in His will (which obedience always is), He will give you all you need. But you must leave the doubt behind.
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