
113 | The Hidden Damage of Shrinking Yourself (And What It Means for the New Year)
🔥 1. Shrinking Often Disguises Itself as “Being Wise”
You tell yourself:
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“I’m just being patient.”
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“I’m still learning.”
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“I’ll start when I’m more confident.”
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“I don’t want to rush God.”
But wisdom doesn’t produce paralysis.
And preparation that never leads to action is not obedience — it’s avoidance.
Biblical Truth:
Ecclesiastes 11:4 — “Whoever watches the wind will not plant.”
Waiting for perfect conditions keeps seeds in your hand instead of in the ground.
🔥 2. The Emotional Cost of Shrinking Yourself
Shrinking doesn’t make you peaceful — it makes you resentful.
Hidden effects include:
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quiet frustration
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low-grade anxiety
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comparison
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self-doubt
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feeling behind
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questioning your purpose
Your soul knows when it’s meant for more — even if your fear argues otherwise.
Biblical Truth:
Jeremiah 20:9 — “His word is in my heart like a fire… I am weary of holding it in.”
What God places inside you will eventually demand expression.
🔥 3. Shrinking Is Not the Same as Surrender
Surrender says: “God, I’ll do it Your way.”
Shrinking says: “God, I’ll do it if it feels safe.”
One leads to growth.
The other leads to stagnation.
God never asked you to erase yourself — He asked you to deny sin, not identity.
Biblical Truth:
Galatians 1:10 — “If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
People-pleasing and purpose rarely coexist.
🔥 4. What Shrinking Looks Like in the New Year
As the year resets, shrinking sounds like:
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“This year I’ll just observe.”
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“I’ll wait and see what happens.”
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“Others are already doing it better.”
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“Maybe next season.”
But the new year doesn’t require a new personality — it requires new obedience.
Biblical Truth:
Isaiah 43:19 — “See, I am doing a new thing!”
God’s new thing often requires you to show up differently than before.
🔥 5. Stewardship Requires Visibility
You can’t steward what you refuse to use.
Your voice.
Your ideas.
Your leadership.
Your business.
Your influence.
Buried gifts don’t multiply.
Biblical Truth:
Matthew 25:25–26 — The servant who hid his talent wasn’t praised for being careful — he was corrected for being fearful.
Key Takeaways
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Shrinking feels safe but produces stagnation
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Humility and invisibility are not the same
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God doesn’t prepare you just to keep you hidden
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Your frustration may be a signal, not a flaw
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Obedience often feels uncomfortable before it feels peaceful
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Introverts don’t need to be louder — they need to be braver
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The new year isn’t about doing more — it’s about showing up
Let’s Take Action
📝 1. Name Where You’ve Been Shrinking
Write down:
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One area of your life you’ve been holding back
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One idea you’ve delayed
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One gift you’ve minimized
Clarity breaks fear.
🗣️ 2. Replace the Shrinking Script
Old thought:
“I’m not ready.”
New truth:
“God wouldn’t nudge me if I wasn’t capable.”
Say it daily.
📅 3. Choose One Brave Step for the New Year
Not ten. Not five.
One.
Examples:
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Post the thing
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Launch the offer
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Raise your price
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Start before you feel confident
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Tell someone what you really want
Momentum starts small.
📖 4. Pray This Prayer
“God, show me where I’ve been hiding out of fear instead of trusting You.
Give me courage to steward what You’ve placed in my hands — especially when it stretches me.”
🌿 5. Declare This Truth
“I am not behind. I am not invisible. I am not too much.
I am being prepared — and I am willing to step forward.”
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