5 Reasons why you are NOT your situation

It has been placed on my heart to remind you, as well as myself that whatever your situation looks like right now, does not make you who you are. Do not allow what you are going through make you forget your IDENTITY, or forget how BLESSED you still are. Do not allow it to make you forget the POWER God has placed in you, and remember your PURPOSE in this world. I want to give you 5 reasons on why you are NOT your situation. I truly hope this encourages whoever needed to be reminded of this and remember that weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning. (Psalms 30:5 KJV)

5 Reasons why you are NOT your situation.

1. You are not your situation because you are YOU. The first thing I would like to remind you of is that you were created by God, fearfully and wonderfully made in HIS image. Did you know that no one on this earth has the same fingerprint as you? God literally knows the number of every single strands of hair on your head. There is only 1 of you! You are forever- your situation is temporary!

~ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. - Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)

~ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. -Psalms 139:14 (NKJV)

2. You are not your situation because in spite of it all, you are STILL BLESSED! The other day, I found myself having to remind a friend to try think of all the positive in her life. My words to her were: "You have a place to stay, a bed to sleep in, you have more than one job, and you always have food to eat." As I reminded her, I was reminding myself of these things. It was one of those "take your own advice" moments. The feeling she had been feeling wasn't a new feeling to me. Although it might not have been new for her either, it was easier for me to be more optimistic and look at the brighter side of things. I've learned with time and through experience how to change my perception on things and fix my mind to thinking about my situations differently. This quote stuck with me from a Netflix original documentary called “Feel Rich”:

"When we decide what's good or bad we attach a perception- and that's when we get disappointed."

Our perception is what gives us that experience. I've been broke plenty of times: had to be out of my apartment by a certain day, didn't know where I was going to live, got eviction notices due to not being able to pay my rent, being 4 months behind, slept on a friend’s hard wood floor because I needed a place to stay. There were times where I literally had to try to scrape up $1 just to get a dollar slice of pizza so I wouldn't go to bed hungry. I won’t even talk about the time where I had to sleep in a bathtub. I know the struggle is real, but the struggle has also been worse! I mean, when you think about it, things can be even worse than what you think they are now. I’ve had to tell myself that a number of times. "I've been here before, and things could always be worse." It made me look back and think about how I used to let the smallest things affect my mood so much to the point where I thought my world was ending. Am I the only one who has felt this way? I was not being grateful for the things I did have. The things God had BLESSED me with. I was not looking at the glass being half full. I was looking at the glass being half empty. There were times when things were actually going well for me, and I would still complain!!! Seriously, shame on me! As I've matured, I started having to remind myself of all the things I DID and DO have- literally talking to myself and Thanking God for all He has blessed me with, and also Thanking God for all He is going to bless me with. Claiming these things! Declaring Joy and Peace no matter what my circumstances are at the moment. I truly believe that's what we all have to do. Talk to yourself, declare Joy and Peace no matter that your situation may look like. You are not your situation, and I want you to know that you are not alone. You are still so blessed! When you think about how bad it is now, think about how much worse it could be. Think about how you still have a place to come home to, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, family to call on, and friends to talk to! Remember how there are so many people in this world who are living on the streets, in the train stations, under bridges who are starving and eating from garbage cans, who have no family to call on- who don't even have phones! Please be reminded of why you are not your situation because of the Grace of God. Be encouraged and know that you are NOT your situation or the situation you are in because you are blessed.

~ From his abundance, we have all received one gracious blessing after another. –John 1:16 (NLT)

~ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His Glory in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

~ Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

~ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. –Psalms 23:1 (NLT)

3. You are not your situation because YOU have the POWER over your emotions. I never understood when my mom would tell me, "You are in control of your emotions.” I'd be thinking like, “No I'm not, and how are you going to tell me that I am in control of MY emotions?” How can you tell someone who is extremely emotional or super sensitive they have power of their emotions? How can you tell someone they are in control of their emotions when they don't even understand what that means? Sounds crazy, if you would've asked me about 5 months ago! However, as I've said, with maturity and PRAYER (because Lord knows me trying to take control of my own emotions required A LOT OF PRAYER) I realized I truly was in control of my own emotions. I mean, who else is making you feel the way you do? Your employees? Your spouse? That person on the train that bumped into you and didn't say excuse me? No! Unless you would say they had that much power over you to get you that upset, then okay. See, the enemy has a way of trying to plant negative thoughts in our minds to make us believe we have NO control over how we feel. He wants us to believe that the people that upset us are the ones who "made us" feel or act that way. Those are all lies! The devil is a liar! Whether you've had a bad day, or you're going through a tough time- he wants YOU to believe that it's your situation’s fault as to why you're acting the way you're acting! He also wants you to believe that since you are in the situation you are in, you are suppose to stay there. NO! Why are you angry? Did someone hold you up at gunpoint and tell you to be upset? Did someone force you to curse your spouse out during that argument y’all had because you were that pissed off? Absolutely not. I really had to learn that nobody had the power over my emotions except me! I had to intentionally CHOOSE PEACE. If we honestly knew how much power and authority we have, because we are joint heirs of God- we would know to cast down and cancel those negative thoughts and emotions. We would prefer peace over pettiness. Tell the enemy that he has NO power over you and that you are in control of your emotions. You are NOT your situation.

~ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Roman 12:2 (NKJV)

~ God is my strength and Power, and He makes my way perfect. – 2 Samuel 22:33 (KJV)

4. You are not the situation that you are in; you are simply going through a different season in your life. Do you notice every time the world naturally goes into a season change that you literally step into a different season of your life? Maybe you didn't notice, maybe you did. For instance, everything is always good when the summer starts: the sun is out, you don't have to do as much, schools out, you're still making your money. You're having fun, you're traveling, going on vacation, it's lit! Then, as the season gets ready to change, things in your life actually change! Work starts back up. The last two weeks of summer you didn't work because you took one last trip before summer was over, so you're broke for the first few weeks of fall waiting on that first week’s paycheck. The sun goes down earlier so it gets dark faster. So, your mood starts to change. Work picks back up, school starts- which means more on your plate. Everything just starts to feel different, and you don't know why. Then something drastic happens, and you're in a situation you feel like you'll never get out of. Maybe you're short on rent, or behind on bills. You might have lost a job or God cut that person you thought was 'the 1' out of your life. Now you're wondering why God is really allowing all these things to happen to you. You're definitely mad at the world, or walking around like it's the end of the world. You just don't know how much longer this will last. Trust me- I have definitely been there before! That is why It's best to know and recognize these seasons in our life when we go through things like this so we know what to pray for and to press through. Gods word tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1- “For everything there is a season.” It also says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” I want to encourage you that whether you might be in a dry season, a test and trial season, a lonely season- waiting on God to bring you your husband or wife season, or a spiritual warfare season, remember that God is STILL in control. He is in control of all of every season. The natural, and also the season you are going through in your life at this very moment. He would never put you through anything you couldn't handle, and a season is always temporary! Think about how far you've come in your life. Think about where you used to be 2 or 3 years ago! Maybe even last year- you were in a different place than you are now. Seriously, don't just "look" at where you are now, REALLY look at where you are now!! God has brought you through so much! Just like the natural seasons change, so will yours.

~To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)

~He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV)

~mANY PEOPLE SAY, "WHO WILL SHOW US BETTER TIMES?" LET YOUR FACE SMILE ON US, LORD. YOU HAVE GIVEN ME GREATER JOY THAN THOSE WHO HAVE ABUNDANT HARVESTS OF GRAIN AND NEW WINE. - pSALMS 4:6-7 (NLT)

5. You are not your situation because you have a PURPOSE. God’s word says - “I know that You can do everything,

and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. Job 42:2 (NKJV)

Do you believe that NO purpose of yours can be withheld from you? This is exactly why it is in me remind you that you are NOT your situation. You are simply in a temporary season that the world has titled “situation” due to the way the world sees things. Fix your mind on what is true, and right and pure! God's Word says ~And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.- Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise! Choose JOY! There is a calling on your life, you have a purpose and a destiny to fulfill. There is no time to sit and soak in misery on why things aren’t going your way at the moment. That’s what the enemy wants you to do. He wants you to sit and waste time so you can regret not living out your purpose. Think about what it is you love to do. Are you pleasing God by doing it? Ask yourself how it is benefiting others and if you are making a difference in people’s lives. Are you walking in it completely? If your answer is no, I would suggest you ask God to help reveal to you what your true purpose is and give you the courage to go for it! Do not let the situation you are in keep you from going all out! Just Go all out! Be encouraged and remember you are NOT your situation.

~ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

~ But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. – Exodus 9:16 (NKJV)

~ May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. – Psalm 20:4 (NKJV)