Mental Blocks (2): The Sentences That Bind You
Behind every block are sentences you believe about yourself and the world. Bring them into the light and you will find the root.
Matthew 10:14
Every block speaks. It speaks in sentences you have thought so often that you take them for the truth.
The first part was about recognizing a block. Now we go deeper. Where does it come from? What feeds it?
Listen to Your Sentences
I’ll stay with my own example: calling strangers. The most important clues came from my own thoughts, just before and just after the calls.
Before the call:
- “I’m not in the mood for all the noes.”
- “Nobody’s going to buy anyway.”
- “They’ll be rude anyway.”
After the calls:
- “I’m never calling again.”
- “What idiots. I’m done with people.”
These sentences aren’t just things you blurt out in anger. They open a window into the depths. Behind each of them is an imprint that took root long ago.
What Lies Behind the Sentences
“I’m not in the mood for all the noes.” Behind it is this: Rejection hurts. I can’t accept it. I overlook the fact that a no is part of the path. It is a child’s way of thinking that takes every rejection as a verdict on the whole person.
“Nobody’s going to buy anyway.” Behind it is this: a lack of trust in myself. I lack experiences of things working out. I don’t know who I am or what I am worth.
“I’m done with people.” Behind it is this: fear of people, born from the fear of rejection. A no feels like a threat.
He Was Rejected Too
This is where a look at Jesus helps. No one was ever rejected the way he was.
“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”
John 1:11
And when he sent out his disciples, he prepared them for exactly this. He didn’t promise them that everyone would say yes. He told them what to do when someone says no:
“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”
Matthew 10:14
The no was part of the path from the very beginning. It was not a verdict on the disciples. It was dust. And dust is something you shake off.
How Beliefs Grow
Behind most blocks are beliefs like these. They grow out of experiences. And every time life seems to confirm them, it hurts all over again, and the block grows firmer. With every new experience, they dig themselves in deeper.
But what grew through experience can also fade through a different experience. Through the experience of a love that doesn’t depend on whether anyone says yes to you.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. …”
1 John 4:18
The third part is about the most important foundation: Mental Blocks (3): You Are Not Your Thoughts
In short
Frequently asked questions about “Mental Blocks (2): The Sentences That Bind You”
Where does the fear of rejection come from?
Often from beliefs that grew out of experiences: Rejection hurts, I can’t accept it, a no feels like a verdict on who I am. Every time life seems to confirm these sentences, it hurts all over again, and they dig themselves in deeper.
What does the Bible say about the fear of rejection?
Jesus himself was rejected: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11) He told his disciples to shake the dust off their feet when someone said no (Matthew 10:14). The no is part of the path. It is not a verdict on you.
What are limiting beliefs?
Sentences you have thought so often that you take them for the truth, such as “Nobody’s going to buy anyway” or “They’ll be rude anyway.” They reveal deeply rooted patterns. What grew through experience can fade again through the experience of a love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
