1544 Do The Math

What you’re going through doesn’t have to change who you are. Don’t let these circumstances get in your head. Don’t let this situation change what you believe about yourself.

What you believe about you must be non-circumstantial. No matter where you are, no matter what is going on around you, who you are must be grounded in the truths of God. It’s not your success. It’s not your failure. It’s who you carry in you that makes you who you are. Romans 8:37, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

You are more than a conqueror. That’s who you are. And it’s not because you have a track record of winning. It’s not because you always get it right. It’s solely because of the power of Jesus that dwells within you through all circumstances. This is how you get up again after you’ve been knocked down. This is how you overcome that big setback. This is how you look yourself in the mirror after that disappointment … you remember who you are and the power in you.

But it’s also how you handle winning. It’s how you show up after a big breakthrough. It’s how you see yourself in the mirror after your greatest success. You are more than a conqueror through Jesus, and Jesus alone. Girl, that wasn’t all you. The good you did is because of the good God put in you. The win was first made possible by God. He did the biggest part, honey, you just showed up believing it. Good for you for showing up because not everyone would. But keep yourself in the rightful position here.

Oh the balance of humility and confidence. Knowing who to praise for the win and who not to hate because of the loss. When it’s good, God gets the praise, not you. When it’s bad, Jesus took the shame, so you wouldn’t have to.

The problem is, we let our circumstances get in our head. When it’s good, it’s because we’re good. When it’s bad, it’s because we’re bad. Girl, you take this all so personal. But it’s hard not to, because after all, this is your life. It feels personal. Those problems feel personal. Those successes feel personal too. But when it changes what you believe about yourself, then it becomes a problem.

Charles Swindoll said, “Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it.” I’ve spent the past 15 years of my life doing the math and keeping my thoughts right. I’m telling you, it makes all the difference when you do the math right.

Your response to the things that happen in life originate in this place of what you believe about you. If you believe you’re a loser, then you respond to the things that happen to you with disappointment, anger, disgust, and self-hate. If you believe you are a self-made success, then you respond to the things that happen to you with pride, arrogance and entitlement.

However, if you believe you’re a beloved daughter of a mighty God who is forever watched by his eye, held by his hand, and guided to his good plans, then you respond to the thing that happen to you with faith and trust.

If you want to change one thing this year, work on changing what you believe about yourself. Changing what you believe about yourself won’t change your entire life, because 10% is still just going to happen no matter what, but it changes the 90%. How you respond to the things that are happening to you, both good and bad, is the major factor in how your life works out. You respond according to what you believe about yourself and this life you’re living.

Psalm 23 is the perfect example of the 10% and the 90%.