Fake Cattle Guards: Limiting Beliefs and False Assumptions in Ministry

Having lived in rural areas, I have had to open and close gates to drive into or through pastures with livestock plenty of times. Of course, I prefer cattle guards to gates. Cattle guards are shallow, rectangular metal pits with parallel bars over the opening, installed across a road in place of a gate. You can drive over them, but livestock won’t cross because they are afraid of falling through the bars. Once, however, I recall crossing a fake cattle guard. The fence ran up to either side of the highway, and, just the size of a real cattle guard, there was a series of stripes painted across the road. Evidently, the cattle perceived the stripes the same as real bars across a pit and were afraid to cross. They believed there were gaps they could fall through and assumed they could not get out of the pasture. In the ministry, we sometimes are limited by things we don’t think we can overcome even though we could – limiting beliefs and false assumptions.

What are limiting beliefs and false assumptions? – Limiting beliefs and false assumptions are troublesome ways of thinking that stand in the way of what we otherwise might attempt or achieve. I am not suggesting all limitations are bad. God, in His wisdom, has communicated principles we should believe firmly, providing good boundaries for us. What I am addressing here is beliefs that do not contradict God’s Word and keep us from doing or being what we can and should. False assumptions are things we automatically and sometimes subconsciously assume to be true that are not.

Let’s make some observations about limiting beliefs and false assumptions. First, it seems false assumptions usually stem from limiting beliefs. Like the cattle at the fake cattle guard, we believe something to be true, so we assume there is a barrier to our success. Second, although not the only areas for crippling thought patterns, generalizations seem to be a common area in which we encounter limiting beliefs and false assumptions. Words like “always,” “never,” “everyone,” and “no one” may signal the presence of faulty thinking. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah flees to the wilderness to meet with God, convinced things are so bad in Israel that he is the only one left who is faithful to the Lord. In His reassuring response to the prophet, the Lord reveals there is, in fact, a remnant of 7000 in Israel who have stayed true to the faith. Third, like Elijah, sometimes we need help identifying and overcoming our limiting beliefs and false assumptions.

Where do limiting beliefs and false assumptions come from? – Limiting beliefs and false assumptions may come from several places, including the following:

  • Previous experience – It may be that, at a given point in our life, something was true that is no longer true. Circumstances or setting may have changed, and you may have new abilities. Thus, something you could, at one time, reasonably assume and believe to be true no longer is.

  • Key messages from significant others – Things we grow up hearing, things said to us or done to us at crucial junctures or by key people, and ways people treat us all may build into us beliefs about ourselves, life, church, etc. that are not true or are not true all the time. They also may lead us falsely to assume certain things.

  • Misunderstanding or faulty perception – Sometimes, we falsely believe and assume things because we do not have accurate information or perspective on the situation. Once we obtain better information or achieve a different perspective, our beliefs and assumptions may change.

What are some examples of limiting beliefs and false assumptions? – Limiting beliefs and false assumptions occur in every area of life, and I hope you will look at the key areas of your own life – marriage, family relationships, work, personal goals, and health – to identify these. However, in this post, I am focusing on the ministry context. Here are some examples from my own observation and from a colleague in leadership development:

  • “No one in the church likes me or supports me” or “Everyone in the church is against me.”

  • “My worth is found in work and productivity.”

  • “I can achieve eternally significant things without God’s blessing and help.”

  • “I can take sin into my life without it impacting myself, my ministry, or others.”

  • “This outreach or evangelism strategy or way of doing church has to be implemented in my church because popular leaders have success with it in theirs.” (Your context is unique.)

  • “This outreach or evangelism strategy is outdated and will not work because common thought says it no longer works.” (Again, your context is unique, and I have heard stories of God blessing “outdated” methods.)

  • “I can’t be both a boss and a pastor to my staff.”

  • “I am too young; no one will follow my leadership.”

  • “Because I am a woman in ministry, men won’t listen to me.”

  • “I have to drop everything to minister when my church members call me.”

How can we overcome limiting beliefs and false assumptions? – Let’s note a few ways to address this issue in our lives and ministries.

  • Evaluate to see if there may be limiting beliefs or false assumptions.

  • Identify the limiting beliefs and false assumptions.

  • Explore what things might look like if the beliefs or assumptions are not true.

  • Get better information and / or new perspectives.

  • Set goals, obtain accountability and encouragement, and begin moving forward.

In a single article, I cannot discuss fully the nature, sources, or expressions of limiting beliefs and false assumptions. Additionally, my point is not to criticize you if you are hindered by these. I want to encourage you to explore the possibility that some of your inability or perceived inability to achieve success may be due to limiting beliefs and / or false assumptions. Additionally, know that identifying and overcoming these things often requires the help of the Lord and another person, such as a coach. The Lord wants to free and empower us to be all He has made us to be and do all He has called us to do.

  1. What limiting beliefs or false assumptions would you add to our list of examples?

  2. Who in your life can ask you the kind of good questions that will help you identify and overcome your limiting beliefs and false assumptions?

  3. What is one thing you can do this week that will help you identify and / or overcome a limiting belief or false assumption in your life or ministry?