Breakthrough: When God Breaks Barriers
I had the recent pleasure of studying breakthrough. I realized it was more than a definition; it was my lived experience. The person I am today is the result of God’s goodness, mercy, and patient refining. And for a long time, I struggled to believe the Lord could truly use someone like me. My past was messy. I carried insecurity, comparison, and shame, believing my story disqualified me. But God showed me something powerful: what I once saw as a weakness was actually a doorway for ministry. My compassion and empathy were not curses; they were evidence of His grace at work.
At its core, a breakthrough is a sudden and significant shift, from limitation to freedom, from confusion to clarity, from struggle to growth. It is more than slow improvement; it is a decisive moment where God changes how we see ourselves, our past, and our purpose. Breakthroughs often require a renewed mindset, a surrendered heart, and the courage to believe that God can do something new.
Biblically, breakthroughs often come through divine interruption, when God steps into a life and reorients identity and direction. Paul’s encounter on the Road to Damascus is a powerful example, but the breakthrough that speaks most deeply to me is found in Acts 10: the conversion of Cornelius. This moment confirmed that salvation through Christ was not limited by ethnicity, background, or status. It revealed that God shows no partiality and that faith in Christ brings full inclusion into His family.
This story matters because it reminds us that sincerity alone is not salvation, but God responds to genuine seeking. It also shows that sometimes the breakthrough isn’t just for the one receiving salvation—it’s for those who need their perspective changed. Peter’s breakthrough required him to cross cultural boundaries and trust that God was expanding His work beyond what he had always known.
I’ve seen how barriers, spoken and unspoken, can push people away from the church. I experienced it myself. For years, I felt unseen, judged, and disconnected. That’s why belonging matters so deeply to me. When God finally broke through my fear and shame, it came when I chose to tell my story in truth. Revelation 12:11 reminds us that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. When I shared my past openly, the shame lost its power, and freedom took its place.
My breakthrough came when I accepted God’s Word as truth over my life, when I believed that I am a new creation and that my story is not a liability but a testimony of His grace.
Call to Action
Take a moment to reflect:
What barriers, fears, shame, comparisons, or past experiences have kept you from fully walking in who God has called you to be?
Where might God be inviting you into a breakthrough of truth, healing, or obedience?
Ask the Lord to show you what needs to be surrendered so He can move freely. Don’t minimize your story; God wants to use it.
Prayer
Lord,
Thank You for being a God who breaks barriers and invites us into freedom. I surrender every place where fear, shame, or past experiences have held me back. Help me see myself the way You see me, redeemed, chosen, and loved. Give me the courage to walk in truth and to trust that my story can bring hope to others. I receive Your breakthrough today and commit to following You in obedience and faith.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
