I had a story about a billionaire who overcame immense challenges. Growing up with an absent father and surrounded by negativity, he was written off by many. Yet, he defied the odds, balancing apprenticeship with study, and ultimately achieved breakthrough success through determination and grit.
Friend, stop waiting for your chance. You need to create it (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12). Waiting for life or people to give you a chance is gambling with your future. You need to create your own chance. You need to succeed against all odds. You need to work your way into greatness (Joshua 1:8).
Like Jephthah, you don’t need to allow what people have said about you to determine your outcomes (Judges 11:1-11). It does not matter who doesn’t believe in you. The God of the whole universe believes in you. You also need to believe in yourself. If you think you can, you can, and if you think you cannot, you are also right (Proverbs 23:7).
Rather than getting bothered about what others have that you lack, you need to look inward to see what you have (Philemon 1:6). Like David, you may not be the favourite of your father. Your family may not believe much in you. You might have been thrusted into the backside of the desert. You can still rise into prominence (1 Samuel 16:11-13).
Nobody owes you anything in life. Once you have this understanding, you will stop living with entitlement mentality (SoS 1:6). You would appreciate what people do for you, but you won’t feel entitled to it. You won’t be discouraged, disappointed, or offended if they don’t do it (2 Timothy 4:16-17). You would take your destiny in your hands.
Contrary to what others might think, adversity is not meant to crush you. It is meant to push you into your destiny (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). You must learn how to turn adversity into an advantage. The very reason people think you would not succeed can be the very reason you would succeed (1 Corinthians 15:8-10). It is not what happens to you that matters. It is what happens in you.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria