Don’t Let Circumstances Control You
John 19:16,17 So Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be killed on a cross. The soldiers took Jesus. He carried his own cross to a place called “The Place of the Skull.”
Life is full of peaks and troughs. And all too often we can be intoxicated by the triumphs and crushed by the disasters. Way too many people live their lives on an emotional rollercoaster.
One of the biggest mistakes that we can ever make in life, is to allow our circumstances – good or bad or otherwise – to be the final arbiter of the life that we lead. If we allow our circumstances to control us, we shall forever be like a forlorn cork bobbing around on the ocean.
Over the player’s entrance to centre court at Wimbledon are inscribed these two lines of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If”:
If you can meet triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same …
Look, triumph and disaster, they come and go. How easy is it to be intoxicated by successes and triumphs and be crushed by failures and disasters?! But really, neither of those define who you are. Of course, they can shape us for better or for worse, but you are not your triumphs or disasters.
During much of His public ministry, the crowds flocked to Jesus, amazed by Him, hanging off every word. Then all of a sudden, they were shouting “Crucify Him” and He was hanging off a cross.
John 19:16,17 So Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be killed on a cross. The soldiers took Jesus. He carried his own cross to a place called “The Place of the Skull.” (In Aramaic the name of this place is “Golgotha.”)
Jesus wasn’t defined by his triumphs or disasters. He had something far more important on His mind, than what other people thought. He knew that He was put on this earth to do the works of His Father who sent Him.
Don’t let your circumstances control you.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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Anne Fladrich
Thank you so much for the inspirational messages. They help me to focus my mind on my development as a follower of ...
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Thank you so much for the inspirational messages. They help me to focus my mind on my development as a follower of Jesus rather than my circumstances. When negative thoughts take hold I can listen to these valuable messages.
Noel Bartlett
Thank you so much Berni for your message today (don’t let circumstances control you). This has long been a ...
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Thank you so much Berni for your message today (don’t let circumstances control you). This has long been a difficulty for me. I’ve gone from being successful in the world’s eyes, to being a downright failure (again in the world’s eyes). I try constantly to overcome the negative feelings about this, but it’s not easy. Fresh today helped me to begin to see things in a different way. I know it’s not the end of the story, but with help and support from you, and people like you, I’m sure I’ll get to the end of this road. God bless you, and thank you, Noel.