What if Anne Frank had killed herself?
Or Corrie Ten Boom?
Or Martin Luther King Jr?
I often times think about this. Why? Because these were all people who had hard lives, but ended up doing great things. What if they had killed themselves?
Think about Anne Frank; her life was insane. She went through so much and with the amount of pain she suffered, who would have blamed her if she gave up? But she didn't. She had a beautiful outlook on life. Instead of letting the darkness around her consume her, she stood strong; and now her diary is published and has inspired millions of people. She did that by staying strong.
There are so many great people of history who could have fallen under pressure, but didn't. Because they made a conscious effort to fight the darkness. Most times though, we think of them in some other category. As if they were born with something we don't have; something that made them great. But in reality, we have the same choices they had. We have the option to hope. There are people who go through hard times and come out to do great things, yet they aren't aware of the greatness ahead. Much like you may not be aware of the greatness ahead of you.
That's right. You.
We all have two options when we face trials; we can give up or try harder. If we give up, we not only give up the current struggle, but also the chance at greatness. You may not see a future for yourself anywhere, but do you think any of the amazing people of history did? Did Corrie Ten Boom think that her life would still be talked about in the year 2014? Probably not. She may not even have seen much of a future for herself, but God saw a beautiful life ahead for her.
God has a beautiful life ahead of you too. You don't know it yet, and you'll never know it if you give up now. I want you to experience all the wonderful things God has for you. I want you to fight despair and be strong. Maybe one day you'll be sharing your testimony in front of 1,000 people, maybe you'll write a book, maybe you'll be an old woman or man who encourages everyone around you; you could be a kind teacher who make school less stressful for students, a youth pastor who sets a generation on fire for the Lord, you could be a good friend to someone who is alone; you can do anything with Christ. You may not see anything in yourself right now, but look ahead and have hope. Hope isn't something you just feel. I had to learnt that this week. Its not a feeling that God magically grants you. Hope is something you have to fight for every single day. Because depression and loneliness and grief and sorrow and fear will attack right back. The darkness doesn't like to be ignored. That is why each day we have to be the choice to hold on to hope. Sure, things looks crappy right now, but its going to get better. Why? Because God's got it. It might not be your kind of "better," but it will be better in some way. Sometimes victories are disguised as failures. You never know the impact you could be having on someone at any given moment. Use that as motivation to stay strong!
Never doubt yourself or your identity in Christ. You can do bigger things than you think you can.
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”
― Anne Frank
“Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.”
― Corrie ten Boom
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
~Faith
Or Corrie Ten Boom?
Or Martin Luther King Jr?
I often times think about this. Why? Because these were all people who had hard lives, but ended up doing great things. What if they had killed themselves?
Think about Anne Frank; her life was insane. She went through so much and with the amount of pain she suffered, who would have blamed her if she gave up? But she didn't. She had a beautiful outlook on life. Instead of letting the darkness around her consume her, she stood strong; and now her diary is published and has inspired millions of people. She did that by staying strong.
There are so many great people of history who could have fallen under pressure, but didn't. Because they made a conscious effort to fight the darkness. Most times though, we think of them in some other category. As if they were born with something we don't have; something that made them great. But in reality, we have the same choices they had. We have the option to hope. There are people who go through hard times and come out to do great things, yet they aren't aware of the greatness ahead. Much like you may not be aware of the greatness ahead of you.
That's right. You.
We all have two options when we face trials; we can give up or try harder. If we give up, we not only give up the current struggle, but also the chance at greatness. You may not see a future for yourself anywhere, but do you think any of the amazing people of history did? Did Corrie Ten Boom think that her life would still be talked about in the year 2014? Probably not. She may not even have seen much of a future for herself, but God saw a beautiful life ahead for her.
God has a beautiful life ahead of you too. You don't know it yet, and you'll never know it if you give up now. I want you to experience all the wonderful things God has for you. I want you to fight despair and be strong. Maybe one day you'll be sharing your testimony in front of 1,000 people, maybe you'll write a book, maybe you'll be an old woman or man who encourages everyone around you; you could be a kind teacher who make school less stressful for students, a youth pastor who sets a generation on fire for the Lord, you could be a good friend to someone who is alone; you can do anything with Christ. You may not see anything in yourself right now, but look ahead and have hope. Hope isn't something you just feel. I had to learnt that this week. Its not a feeling that God magically grants you. Hope is something you have to fight for every single day. Because depression and loneliness and grief and sorrow and fear will attack right back. The darkness doesn't like to be ignored. That is why each day we have to be the choice to hold on to hope. Sure, things looks crappy right now, but its going to get better. Why? Because God's got it. It might not be your kind of "better," but it will be better in some way. Sometimes victories are disguised as failures. You never know the impact you could be having on someone at any given moment. Use that as motivation to stay strong!
Never doubt yourself or your identity in Christ. You can do bigger things than you think you can.
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”
― Anne Frank
“Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.”
― Corrie ten Boom
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
~Faith