Have you ever looked back on a season of your life and wondered, How did I not see that before?
Sometimes the habits we’ve lived with for years feel so normal that we don’t recognize how deeply they’ve shaped us. We blame circumstances. We blame other people. We assume we’ll always struggle the same way.
But one of the beautiful gifts God gives us is hindsight.
As He patiently works in our hearts, He begins revealing patterns we never noticed before—not to shame us, but to lead us toward freedom from strongholds that have quietly influenced the way we think, respond, and live.
In this conversation with author and Christian life coach Natalie Hixson, we talked about what happened when God opened her eyes to destructive patterns in her own motherhood and how He faithfully led her toward healing, one surrendered step at a time.
Why Freedom from Strongholds Often Begins with Looking Back
Strongholds rarely announce themselves.
They often develop slowly through repeated thoughts, unhealthy beliefs, painful experiences, or learned patterns that become so familiar we stop questioning them.
Natalie described years of believing her anger was simply part of who she was. When motherhood became much harder than she expected, she assumed everyone else was the problem—until a therapist gently helped her see something different.
That conversation became the beginning of a much larger work God wanted to do.
Looking back now, she can see that the Lord wasn’t trying to condemn her.
He was inviting her into freedom.
I think that’s true for all of us.
God doesn’t expose our hearts because He delights in pointing out our failures. He lovingly reveals what keeps us tangled so He can begin untangling it.
Step By Step Bible Study: What Psalm 25:15 Teaches About Freedom from Strongholds
My eyes are always on the LORD, for he will pull my feet out of the net.
Psalm 25:15 (NIV)
One image in this verse immediately stands out.
A net.
A net doesn’t usually trap someone all at once. Threads overlap until movement becomes difficult.
Strongholds often work the same way.
One unhealthy belief connects to another.
One fearful response reinforces the next.
One destructive habit slowly becomes our normal.
The psalmist doesn’t describe pulling himself free.
Instead, he fixes his eyes on the Lord because God is the One who pulls his feet from the net.
That doesn’t remove our responsibility to surrender, repent, or grow. Natalie talked openly about taking responsibility for her own responses. But she also emphasized something equally important: lasting change came as she consistently spent time with the Lord and allowed Him to transform her heart.
Freedom wasn’t something she manufactured.
It was something God faithfully produced as she continued walking with Him.
Looking Back Changed Everything
One of the moments that stayed with me most from our conversation was Natalie’s story about taking her oldest daughter to therapy.
She was convinced her daughter needed help.
Instead, the therapist gently told Natalie that her daughter was developing normally—and recommended therapy for Natalie herself.
That wasn’t the end of her story.
It was the beginning.
Years later, Natalie described watching her oldest daughter get married. A close friend reminded her how beautifully God had restored their relationship.
She also shared another moment that nearly brought me to tears.
While helping her daughter during college, Natalie offered to leave if her presence was creating more stress.
Her daughter replied,
“Mom, having you here takes my stress down.”
What an incredible testimony.
Not because Natalie became a perfect mother.
But because God patiently transformed a heart that was willing to surrender.
Those are the kinds of moments we only recognize when we look back.
God Doesn’t Reveal Our Hearts to Shame Us
One theme surfaced again and again throughout our conversation.
Shame tells us to hide.
Grace invites us to heal.
Natalie spoke honestly about accepting responsibility for the ways she had hurt her family while also learning to receive Christ’s forgiveness.
I appreciated that balance.
Repentance matters.
Growth matters.
But so does believing Christ’s sacrifice is enough.
If we continue carrying what Jesus has already paid for, we’re living as though His grace isn’t sufficient.
That’s not freedom.
The Lord doesn’t reveal our strongholds so we’ll stay discouraged.
He reveals them because He intends to loosen every thread that keeps us from walking with Him.
Something to Consider
Is there something you can see today that you couldn’t have seen a few years ago?
Maybe it’s a reaction that once felt automatic.
A fear that quietly controlled your decisions.
A belief about yourself that wasn’t rooted in God’s truth.
Or perhaps it’s simply the realization that you’ve been trying to free yourself instead of trusting the One who pulls your feet from the net.
Ask the Lord to help you look honestly at your own heart.
Not with condemnation.
With hope.
He is always leading His children toward freedom.
Key Takeaway
Sometimes we only recognize God’s work when we look back.
What once felt like failure becomes evidence of His faithfulness.
What once seemed permanent becomes another reminder that God is still transforming us.
Freedom from strongholds doesn’t happen overnight.
It grows as we keep our eyes on the Lord, surrender what He reveals, and trust Him to do what only He can do.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 #382 | Looking Back, I Can See It Now with Natalie Hixson
In this encouraging conversation on Understand Your Bible, guest Natalie Hixson shares her personal story of overcoming destructive patterns in motherhood, learning to receive God’s grace, and discovering the freedom that comes through surrendering to Christ.
Natalie Hixson is a wife, mother, auntie, and certified professional life coach who helps discouraged Christian moms overcome destructive anger and burnout. After learning to thrive in motherhood and process anger in a healthy way, Natalie became convicted to help other moms avoid those dark years of motherhood by helping them to appreciate and process their anger, learn to identify their triggers, and ultimately control their reaction to those triggering situations.
She enjoys her own motherhood journey by hanging with her husband Mike and their three daughters in beautiful Bozeman, Montana. She recharges with Jesus, coffee, and adventures with her family like skiing in the winter, hiking, and swimming in the summer, and traveling year-round!
You can connect with Natalie at https://nataliehixson.com/