Letting Go of Obstacles by Rev. Teresa Stuefloten, M.Div. 8/16/2026

Good morning! This is Rev. Teresa. Today I am talking about Letting Go of Obstacles. What obstacles am I referring to? I mean obstacles to self-esteem and self-love, obstacles to success, obstacles to abundance, obstacles to spiritual experiences, obstacles to a happy and fulfilled life.

Our thinking is the key to a happy, fulfilled and successful life. What we think about is what we manifest in the physical world. There are many thoughts we can hold that are obstacles to having what we want in life, such as unworthiness, negativity, powerlessness, a false concept of who and what we are, and a false belief in the reality and power of the physical world.

Many New Thought ministers and teachers have spoken of the power of the mind, and there are many books written on this subject. I will briefly outline a few false beliefs held in mind that are obstacles to having the kind of life we desire. You may want to obtain some of the books on the power of the mind for further study if this topic interests you.

Rev. Dr. Joseph Murphy, an ordained Divine Science minister from the 1940s through the 1970s, and a very prolific writer, wrote more than 40 books on the power of the mind used properly. He was also a very popular speaker.

Joseph Murphy was born in Ireland to a Catholic family. After questioning Jesuit teachings and deciding the Catholic priesthood was not for him, he came to the US by himself in 1922 to have new experiences. He met Ernest Holmes and was ordained in Religious Science in 1946. He then met Erwin Gregg and was ordained in Divine Science in 1949, becoming the minister of the Los Angeles Divine Science Church, which he built into one of the largest New Though Churches in the US.

Joseph Murphy lived the teachings of New Thought and the power of the mind to bring about what we desire for our highest life. He writes as one who knows Truth teachings inside out. His most well-known book is “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind,” which was a best seller worldwide. “The Cosmic Power Within You” is one of his books on my bookshelf and I will be quoting a few passages from that book in my talk today.

Thinking we are not worthy of success and happiness is one obstacle. Many people have a negative self-image and put themselves down. The media would like us to define ourselves by society’s standards. If we buy into this way of thinking about ourself, we may decide we are not beautiful or handsome enough, we weigh too much, we are not smart enough, we are too shy, and the list goes on and on, judging ourself. Thus we conclude that we are not worthy of the things we want in life. When we think negatively about ourself, we push away happiness and success.

Joseph Murphy says of our self-image:

“Love of self in the true Biblical meaning is to honor, recognize, exalt, respect, and give your total allegiance to the living Spirit within you. This supreme Intelligence made you, created you, animates and sustains you, It is the Life-Principle within you. This has nothing to do with egoism or self-aggrandizement, but on the contrary is a wholesome veneration for the Divinity which shapes your ends. The Bible says that your body is a temple of God, and therefore, as Paul says, you are to glorify God in your body, also. When you honor, respect, and love the Self of you, you will automatically love, esteem and honor others.”

He says further, “One of the most deep-seated longings of the heart is to gain recognition of one’s true worth - to be respected, esteemed, and loved…. ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’ means that you exalt, appreciate, love, and give complete allegiance to the God-Power within you - your real Self… What you send out reverberates back to you. Life is an echo; therefore, send forth love, peace, goodwill, and blessings to all, to the whole world, and countless blessings will return to you.”

I believe this. As souls in a human incarnation, we crave recognition of our worth. But we must be able to believe we are worthy before we will experience it in our life. If you grew up in an environment where you did not feel cherished and worthy, you must let go of any false beliefs you may have developed as a result. You are a Divine expression of God, made in God’s image and likeness. You are worthy of love, happiness and success.

The Bible has many verses about our worth. We are to believe that we are worthy of love and success.

Luke 12:7 “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Psalm 139:13-14 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Song of Solomon 4:7 “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

Negative thinking is another obstacle that is related to unworthiness. If we think about things we would like in our life with the thought , “It will never happen for me, it will never happen to me,” we are blocking it from happening. If we think we are not capable of doing what it is that is our desire or our dream, then we are right, it will not happen because we are preventing it by our negative thinking. Our thinking draws to us the experiences that match our thinking. We must think of ourselves as capable of success.

If you have had past failures, Murphy says, “Your so-called failures are but stepping stones to your success… Focus your mind on the vision of victory and triumph, and you’re sure of success. One success wipes out hundreds of failures… You are what you think about all day long. Align yourself with the Infinite Source of life and let life flow through you as abundance, security, right action, and true expression… Affirm frequently: My faith is in God and all things good. I live in the joyous expectancy of the best, and marvelous and unseen wonders come into my life every day. As you do this, you will prosper along all lines.”

The Bible tells us we are capable of success in our endeavors when we put our belief and trust in God.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

When we believe we are capable, and see ourself succeeding, knowing God has our back, we will be successful.

Thinking we need another person to complete us is an obstacle to let go of. We are each a Divine expression, made in the image and likeness of God. We are whole and complete in our own Divine Self. Many people spend a lot of time and effort to find a mate, thinking they cannot be happy until they have someone. And then often people hook up with whoever is there rather than waiting for the person who is right for them, creating misery rather than happiness.

Concentrate on sending love and happiness out to others. See the best in others. Do kind things for others. Endeavor to be a blessing in this world. What you send out is what you attract back to yourself. Be the kind of person you would like in your life. You will attract the kind of companionship that you are an example of. See the Truth of yourself as a Divine Expression and you will attract a Divine companion.

Genesis 1:27 affirms our Divinity, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Thinking we are alone and need to do it all ourself is an obstacle to let go of. We are never alone. We are always one with God. And we are one with our fellow beings. We always have all of the support we need, if we will only turn within to the Divine.

Joseph Murphy said, “Realize that God is your partner and you will fear no evil. Know that His Overshadowing Presence and Cosmic Power will always watch over you, and you will lead a charmed life.”

The Bible affirms our oneness with God, our constant partner and companion.

Acts 17:28 “For in him we live and move and have our being: even as some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Another obstacle to let go of is the illusion that this physical world is all there is. There are many people whose priority is the pursuit of wealth in the physical world and all that wealth can buy: a big house, an expensive car, expensive clothing and makeup, exotic vacations, the list goes on and on. There is a pervasive false belief that these things will bring happiness. No amount of things in the physical world can truly bring happiness. The desire is insatiable because it does not lead to true happiness, so there is never enough. Only spiritual pursuits lead to true and lasting happiness. The Bible says:

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Do not let your adorning be external,… (the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear) but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Misplaced priorities are an obstacle. Putting the external world before the inner world is a misplaced priority and an obstacle to inner spiritual growth. 

Matthew 16:26 says, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” For what will it profit a woman if she gains the whole world and forfeits her soul? Or what shall a woman give in return for her soul?

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

The biggest obstacle is believing that we are the body and the ego mind. This body is only temporary. We have incarnated for a time in this body to learn and grow with the experiences we have in the physical realm. But we are Soul having a human experience. We are not the body and the ego mind. They were never intended to be permanent. We can be bold in our endeavors for success in this world, realizing that it is only our experience for a short time. Believe you can be successful and go for it! Live boldly!

My friend, Chuck, has COPD. He has become an expert in letting go of obstacles. He is one of the admins of the COPD Support Group I am a member of on Facebook. While most people with COPD say they cannot exercise because they have difficulty breathing, Chuck decided to get past that obstacle. He hired a personal trainer who is familiar with COPD and began exercising a little at a time, increasing his exercise as he became stronger. He can now do a walk up a hill in his neighborhood. Another obstacle that Chuck let go of is the embarrassment of wearing oxygen in public. He just made a decision that the oxygen allows him more freedom of movement. He can get out and about with the oxygen. With the exercise and oxygen, Chuck has reclaimed his life! He is going to the seaside in Japan, where he lives, for a week long vacation with his family: his wife, his two adult sons and daughter-in-law, and his baby grandson. It will be a lovely time for him at the seaside with the new rollator walker with big tires that he recently purchased so he can walk on the beach. Chuck has made a decision that he will no longer let obstacles stop him from having a full life! With 18% lung function, Chuck has made the decision to let go of obstacles and live his best life. He is a deep thinker and writes beautiful reflections on the spiritual life and recognizing the Divine in our daily life.

Joseph Murphy’s book contains many true stories about people who changed their thinking and changed their life. One of my favorites is his story about an eight year old boy who wanted a dog. He says, quote:

“…As previously indicated, all things are present in Infinite Mind as ideas, mental patterns, and principles.

   A boy about eight years of age was brought to see me by his mother. He had been disobedient, obstinate, and rebellious. It seemed all his playmates had dogs, most of which were Irish terriers, and he was constantly crying for a dog. He deeply resented his mother and father for their unwillingness to grant him a pet dog. His mother had told him that dogs were dirty animals and she would not have one in the house, but that when he grew up and was eighteen he could have one and take care of it himself.

   The little boy could not understand why he had to wait ten years for a dog. At my request, the mother left him alone with me for half an hour or so, while he poured out all his troubles. I told him to picture the dog he wanted and in his imagination to fondle it and stroke it every night prior to sleep, just to feel that there was a dog right there in the room with him, and that he had his arms around the dog. I suggested that he do this every night.

   The boy’s birthday occurred a few weeks later, and his grandfather visited him, presenting him with a $3,000 check to be deposited for his education later on - and in addition he brought him a puppy, an Irish terrier! The grandfather was received with éclat by the whole family, and all opposition to the dog melted in the burst of approval of the two gifts.

   This little boy did not have to wait ten years for a dog after all. He collapsed time by the intensity of his thought when he entered into the joy of having a dog now. The Book of Proverbs says, Hope deferred taketh the heart sick… (Proverbs 13:12) Your harvest is ready now in your mind. Ready your mind to receive your good now without further postponement.”

So what is your puppy? What is it that you would like to have or do in your life? What is it that you are blocking from coming forth for you through your thinking?

You, too, can let go of whatever obstacles in your thinking are getting in the way of living the life that you desire. And so it is!