Everyone wants to be happy.
Everyone wants to grow. So why is
it that as you look at your life, you may not be happy and you feel as though
you’re not growing? Over the years I’ve
observed those in our

discipleship programs seem to struggle with a few common
issues. Generally when one of our
participants get “stuck,” there is an underlying issue in their lives they must
confront. Perhaps you’ll find one of
these issues relevant to your own life.

If you look at the big picture of your life, you’ve likely come a long
way. You’ve experienced
growth and probably have fought to cooperate with God and what He’s doing in
your life. But at times, you’ve felt blocked; in your mind’s eye, you’ve seen the gears grind and fail to mesh. You may have wondered, “Is there anything I
can do to get back in gear and going again?”
It happens to us all – we all get stuck.

Understanding where we’re stuck can help us overcome whatever may be in the way.
That said, here are five main barriers
to growth:

1) Pride/hurt: Past hurts can cause us to
shut down parts of our lives. Something
inside says “Don’t touch me!” And to the
world we seem aloof or proud. As long as
we allow ourselves to be blocked by this barrier, we never learn

humility.

2) Victim Status: We may not be able to control what happens to
us but we can control how we respond to it.
A culture of victimization has developed in America. If you buy into it, it will keep you from
learning

responsibility. Your reality will perpetually be externally
defined if you believe yourself to be a victim.

3) Distrust/cynicism: God wants to move us
to a place of

interdependence and
covenant. This requires that we learn to
trust one another. A cynical or critical
spirit is a stiff-arm that keeps people from entering your world and assisting
you in the growth process.

4) Independent
Spirit: You can’t do it on your
own. You weren’t made to. You were made to be a part of a group and to
benefit from their experience by operating in a life-giving authority structure
that sees and releases the potential in you.
You will never

wield authority
correctly until you trust those in authority over you.

5) Selfishness: It’s not about you. The world owes you nothing and as long as you
are out for your own needs, you’ll never learn

thankfulness and never become the giving person God intends you to
be. Your growth can only take place as
you seek to give to others more than you receive.