I recently
had the pleasure of speaking to a group of college age students. God gave me a
powerful word to share with these students and I wanted to take the opportunity
to share it with you today. I
spoke to them about how we choose who our circumstances dictate us to become.
As many of
you know, I grew up in a dysfunctional household that was filled with abuse and
rejection. When I was no longer in this household I began to start down the
same path, making a lot of mistakes and getting involved in things I had not
business being involved in. When I was 22 I began a relationship with God and
everything changed for me. See for the first time in my life I had a hope that
things could be different. However, I had to allow myself to be changed. I had
to allow God into the deep places of my heart and bring healing to my pain.
When this
was happening I was extremely uncomfortable because as I allowed God to heal my
heart I began to feel things I had not felt in a long time. I began to be
happy, hopeful, caring, loving, and lovable. During this time I wanted to run
back to what was comfortable which was hopelessness, depression, drugs,
alcohol, and many other things. These things had been my crutches for so long.
They allowed me to function in the midst of being miserable, defeated, and
hopeless. Functioning without my crutches was difficult. However, I knew this
was a defining moment in my life. I knew that I could press through the process,
being uncomfortable for a season, and be able to get rid of my crutches once
and for all or I could continue to allow my crutches to lead me into a life
full of despair, hurt, and disappointment. The decision was mine. I had to
choose whether I was going to let my circumstances, the hand I had been dealt
continue to define me as a victim or if I would fight through being
uncomfortable, learning to walk without crutches, and become victorious. I
chose to become victorious.
I often think
about Joseph and how he had to make the same decision, whether to be a victim
or victor. Joseph was given a dream from God. He shared this dream with his
brothers and they plotted to kill him,
threw him in a well, and then sold him into Slavery. He was then falsely
accused of sleeping with Potiphar’s wife, put into prison, forgotten about, and
then he finally begins to see his dream come to fruition. I’m sure Joseph probably
felt abandoned, rejected, and often discouraged. It is completely
understandable that he would feel that way. Joseph could have chose to become angry,
bitter, resentful, sad, discouraged, doubtful, mad, to want revenge, and never
accomplish his dreams. Joseph chose to rise above his circumstances and reach
for the sky. He chose not to let his circumstances keep him from all that God
had and wanted for him.
I would encourage you today to examine your
heart and ask God what crutches you might be holding onto and what areas you
need to allow Him to bring change. Then I would encourage you to throw down those crutches and
allow God to help you change the way you let your circumstances define you. Choose
today to go from victim to victor!!
Much Love,
Dallas
