My greatest frustration as a life coach.

Have you ever known someone who you can so clearly see their potential, and if they just made certain changes, their life could be so drastically better?

As a life coach, I've seen this countless times.

I've had so many conversations with people where I just knew that if only they let me help them, I could truly help transform their lives.

But they resist... the excuses come... or the polite decline.

Why does it happen though? When I challenge myself to look beyond the frustration of not being able to help someone who so clearly needs it, I must ask myself this question.

1) The first reason is pride.

It takes great humility for someone to accept help from another person.

Especially if it is someone who has always been responsible for helping others. They have no framework of what it means to be the one in need, or how to receive that help.

When this is the reason, the person must reach a place of self-awareness to stop and wonder why they are not able to receive help.

Asking this question is the first step into the deliverance process. It exposes the deep root that has kept them stuck.

2) The second reason is fear.

When I was a year old Christian, I had a genuine fear of not knowing how to live without the identity of depression.

Embracing freedom and transformation comes with a very real fear of the unknown that lies on the other side of a "yes."

But the Holy Spirit empowers us to give those hard "yeses," knowing that He is with us, strengthens us, and protects us. We do not need to be afraid of the new. He makes us into a new creation, and we must embrace it.

3) The third reason is priorities.

Sometimes, the person may not yet be desperate enough for transformation.

If they are still content with a half life, a mirror of what life could be, they will not reach for the true life.

They freely spend money on food, clothes, or social outings, but do not wish to invest in changing their lives for the better.

In this situation, the only thing I can do is pray that God would work in their hearts and bring them to a place of discontentment with the life they're living. To bring a desperation for freedom, transformation, and revival.

4) The fourth reason is spiritual warfare.

The devil knows that when Children of God pursue the fullness of what God has for them, they become an imminent threat to the kingdom of darkness.

When we go from victim to conquerer, we will conquer the devil's work in our lives. He will lose his stronghold.

So he will attack our minds or emotions to keep us from moving forward.

He may cause you to have negative thoughts of the person trying to help you, by twisting their words or your perception of them.

He may cause you to have a million reasons racing through your thoughts as to why you shouldn't pursue it.

Or you may feel an overwhelming anxiety that freezes you.

All of these attacks are spiritual, and as Children of God, we have all authority to take them captive and cast them out in the name of Jesus.

5) The fifth reason is getting stuck in "prayer request" mode.

This particular mindset is rooted in Christian practice, but twists it in a way that excuses us from taking action, and shifts the responsibility on prayers--and ultimately God.

This is harmful because it causes us to treat God like a genie while not requiring anything of us. It excuses us from all action and blame.

It keeps us in a place of stagnantly waiting on God, and believing the lie that He doesn't hear our prayers, or blaming the devil for holding us back.

While spiritual blockages can exist, and we should continuously pray for all our needs, our pursuit does not end there, it is only the beginning.

We must be honest with ourselves about whether we are actually the ones holding ourselves back.

So, beloved, embrace the call. Do not delay. Become the woman God created you to be.