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Do something amazing!
Shun
Friday, September 18, 2009
You were not built to break
As I watched Whitney Houston's interview and performance on Oprah, I was reminded of the tremendous power God has placed within the human spirit. I thought of all the times, the media and the public predicted that it was over for Whitney. The world had given up on her, counted her as another celebrity who self destructs. Listening to her, it's apparent that even at times she too thought that her best days were behind. Whitney was in a destructive relationship which was made worse by her drug use. It's not to find someone attempting to cover the pain with drugs, but unlike many who struggle with those issues, she went through those challenges publically. Not only did she have to deal with opinions of her friends, family and casual acquaintances (most of us), she had the world watching her and critiquing as well. Now if you've ever had something crazy going on in your life (I'm sure you have) you know it can be difficult enough when just those who care about you know about it. Can you imagine having the press and people who don't even know you adding commentary? That might make each of us look for some form of escape even if not drugs. I think food would be my drug.
In the midst of the all craziness, Whitney refused to stop fighting. At first she fought for her marriage, but finally she fought for herself and her daughter. She wanted to leave, but she didn't think she had the strength to walk away. So she cried out to God, asking Him for just enough courage to leave. She found the strength and walked away, but the strength didn't come from outside forces. The virtue Whitney needed to change her life was there all the time, placed in her by a loving Creator who knew that with life comes challenges and she would need the courage and power to overcome. That strength is not reserved for Whitney alone. It's in resides in of us waiting to be activated by our choice to change, our refusal to continue to tolerate where we currently are.
Many of us tend to look outside for helping. We hope for the posse to ride in just before the big shoot out and rescue us. We are often disappointed when no rescue team arrives. We tend to feel abandoned or rejected by God. Like Whitney, we must learn that the emanicpation comes from within. It comes from a realization that we were created for more and that we don't deserve to be stuck in a life that destroys the core of who we are. Whitney's song, "I didn't know my strength" should serve as an anthem and a wakeup call to every one of us who feel to powerless or too weak to change our situation. The lyrics remind us that that we were not built to break and that we have the power to change even when we think we can't. I LOVE THIS SONG!
My favorite line is "I was not built to break, no, no, I got to know my own strength."
Not one of us was built to break under the pressures of life. We engineered to not only survive under pressure, but emerge stronger and more confident in our God and who we are in Him. But often we forget this is the heat of the battle and we allow our circumstances to deceive is into believing that we are victims. The dictionary defines a victim as "a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance..."
We only become victims when we allow our own emotions or ignorance to deceive of us of the reality of who we really are. Who are we? "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37. We are conquerors, victors, champions and overcomers! That's who you were designed to be! A conqueror is a person who gains victory over "something" through personal effort...vigorous action.
So in other words...Nothing just happens. Even though you were create to overcome the challenges of life and that is God's will for your life, unless you believe it and act on it, the reality of it will elude you. Consider Whitney as much as she wanted to be free from that dark place in her life, nothing happened until she begin to move in her own strength by making a choice to change. When Whitney did what she could do for herself, God did what she couldn't do. The same is true for each of us. God will speak to us. He will send others to encourage and remind us who really are, but ultimately we have to choose to believe in the power in us to make a change. Once we begin to act, His supernatural ability will kick in where our natural ability is not enough to cause us to win.
I don't know where you are in your life right now. Maybe like Whitney you need to leave a dysfunctional relationship or break the addiction of drugs. Maybe you need to go back to school, start a business or lose a little weight. Maybe you want to act, model or become the next Oprah. Whatever your dream is...you can do it. It doesn't matter where you are today, how grim the situation seems, I want to encourage you to trust God and have confidence in who you are. You are a woman designed and engineered for victory. Like Whitney, it's time for you to know that you are not built to break!
Let's do something amazing!
Shun
P.S. I've provided a link to Whitney's website. I encourage you to listen to "I don't know my own strength." I'm certain it will encourage you as it did me! http://www.whitneyhouston.com/us/music/i-look-you
In the midst of the all craziness, Whitney refused to stop fighting. At first she fought for her marriage, but finally she fought for herself and her daughter. She wanted to leave, but she didn't think she had the strength to walk away. So she cried out to God, asking Him for just enough courage to leave. She found the strength and walked away, but the strength didn't come from outside forces. The virtue Whitney needed to change her life was there all the time, placed in her by a loving Creator who knew that with life comes challenges and she would need the courage and power to overcome. That strength is not reserved for Whitney alone. It's in resides in of us waiting to be activated by our choice to change, our refusal to continue to tolerate where we currently are.
Many of us tend to look outside for helping. We hope for the posse to ride in just before the big shoot out and rescue us. We are often disappointed when no rescue team arrives. We tend to feel abandoned or rejected by God. Like Whitney, we must learn that the emanicpation comes from within. It comes from a realization that we were created for more and that we don't deserve to be stuck in a life that destroys the core of who we are. Whitney's song, "I didn't know my strength" should serve as an anthem and a wakeup call to every one of us who feel to powerless or too weak to change our situation. The lyrics remind us that that we were not built to break and that we have the power to change even when we think we can't. I LOVE THIS SONG!
My favorite line is "I was not built to break, no, no, I got to know my own strength."
Not one of us was built to break under the pressures of life. We engineered to not only survive under pressure, but emerge stronger and more confident in our God and who we are in Him. But often we forget this is the heat of the battle and we allow our circumstances to deceive is into believing that we are victims. The dictionary defines a victim as "a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance..."
We only become victims when we allow our own emotions or ignorance to deceive of us of the reality of who we really are. Who are we? "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37. We are conquerors, victors, champions and overcomers! That's who you were designed to be! A conqueror is a person who gains victory over "something" through personal effort...vigorous action.
So in other words...Nothing just happens. Even though you were create to overcome the challenges of life and that is God's will for your life, unless you believe it and act on it, the reality of it will elude you. Consider Whitney as much as she wanted to be free from that dark place in her life, nothing happened until she begin to move in her own strength by making a choice to change. When Whitney did what she could do for herself, God did what she couldn't do. The same is true for each of us. God will speak to us. He will send others to encourage and remind us who really are, but ultimately we have to choose to believe in the power in us to make a change. Once we begin to act, His supernatural ability will kick in where our natural ability is not enough to cause us to win.
I don't know where you are in your life right now. Maybe like Whitney you need to leave a dysfunctional relationship or break the addiction of drugs. Maybe you need to go back to school, start a business or lose a little weight. Maybe you want to act, model or become the next Oprah. Whatever your dream is...you can do it. It doesn't matter where you are today, how grim the situation seems, I want to encourage you to trust God and have confidence in who you are. You are a woman designed and engineered for victory. Like Whitney, it's time for you to know that you are not built to break!
Let's do something amazing!
Shun
P.S. I've provided a link to Whitney's website. I encourage you to listen to "I don't know my own strength." I'm certain it will encourage you as it did me! http://www.whitneyhouston.com/us/music/i-look-you
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