Hi there,
Make no mistake, life is going to do what life is going to do. If you have been apart of this tribe for some time, then you know that I subscribe to the notion that life has two great equalizers; death and pain. None of us can escape this life without either. For the sake of today’s blog, I would like to focus on pain. In life, we will all face some kind of hardships and, in my personal experience, the sufferings associated with these hardships have gotten more intense as I’ve grown older. When I say hardships, it doesn’t necessarily mean something drastic; sometimes trying to navigate everyday life as a spouse, mom, employer, entrepreneur, caretaker, the “strong friend”, ect. can be heavy! When life gets heavy like this, it can be hard to fight back. In addition to the physical aspect; mental and emotional exhaustion is a different kind of fighting in regards to navigating adulthood. When the weight of life begins to burden me to the point that I feel like completely checking out, there is one affirmation that I employ. This affirmation keeps me from drowning. There are times when I am only able to float and even if I am not going anywhere I am doing enough to stay above water and, for me, that’s enough! What I speak over myself during really painful and seemingly unbearable moments is this, I tell myself that “I am no one’s victim.”
One of the most stealth schemes of the enemy, is to make you feel sorry for yourself. This is not to say your feelings are not valid, just hear me out. If we can feel sorry for ourselves, we can blame someone, causing us to feel justified in our sorrow, which can leave us in a constant state of defeat. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be alert and sober minded because the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. The enemy walks around looking for people who have lost their hope. Don’t make it easy for him. In Luke 10:19, Jesus reminds us that He has given us authority over the power of the enemy, to tread on serpents; and nothing shall by any means harm us. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask, think, or imagine.
Our minds are a true battlefield, our thoughts are the platform of God’s performance in our lives. So when you are down on yourself about whatever circumstances you may be facing, know that you are no one’s victim, you are in a fixed fight, and God has graced and equipped you to overcome every obstacle that comes to deter you from fulfilling His divine purpose for your life. You will get through this! Think well of yourself and speak life over your storm.
Until next time,
Be well.
Cassondra