I wonder how many times I've disqualified myself from stepping into my potential because of the negative and limiting thoughts I've held onto about myself as truth. Quick, subconscious thoughts that flash across my mind in moments of decision and opportunity:

"I'm not as gifted as he is." 

"I don't have enough experience."

"I'm too much of a procrastinator."

"I've made so many mistakes before."

"I can't." 

The story of Gideon in Judges chapter 6 in the Old Testament is the story to dive into for those of us who've struggled to see who we really could become. 

Gideon saw himself as the "least" in the smallest family of the "weakest" tribe. Who he was had already been decided, and even when God sends an angel to visit him and give him a supernatural call to be a hero he doesn't buy it. How could anything else be true besides the way he sees himself?

The angel tells him: "Mighty hero; the Lord is with you!"

Maybe the angel was smoking something. Gideon couldn't have been far off in his self-assessment: he probably was pretty small, in a tiny family, and everyone would agree: 'Yep- Manasseh is the weakest tribe, alright.' 

Assuming the angel wasn't high (which is a safe assumption throughout the entire Bible), the only way he could get away with calling Gideon a "mighty warrior" was if he saw something and knew something that Gideon didn't. 

[Can't you just imagine God giggling each time right before he sends someone a message that their past doesn't disqualify them from their future? I can imagine God grabbing an angel and saying, "Watch this! This guy's about to be blown away by how powerfully I can use him!"]

God always, always, always uses the small, ordinary, no-name, insignificant, weak resume, and sketchy guy to do extraordinary things. 

Frankly, can't sucks. Don't buy it. Don't listen to it. Don't act out of it.

When you're tempted to hide like Gideon and believe the hype, take a minute to listen to God's voice whispering in your ear about who you can become through Him.