Are you Living Pitiful or Powerful?

It never fails. When I am placing someone under arrest for shoplifting or stealing, the excuses begin to flow. I think I have heard just about every excuse there is. "I'm out of work", "I just really needed this stuff to get by", "I was going to come back and pay for it when I got my check", etc. Then they start in with all of the troubles and trials they have been through and how they have just had it so rough, never had a chance in life and so on. I just look at them with no sympathy and tell them to grow up and take some responsibility. To me their excuses are justifications for them to be irresponsible and feel sorry for themselves. I wouldn't condone stealing regardless. The truth is I probably would feel a little compassion for them if they were stealing baby food, food for the kids or some sort of necessity like that. In these cases the things they steal are lip gloss, foundation, pantyhose, DVD movies, etc. Now since when did those things become life or death? It's just no one wants to be responsible for their own actions anymore. They do these things knowing they are taking a risk of getting caught, knowing it's wrong, yet when they get caught, they try to blame it on something, or guilt the police as if we're the ones with the audacity to arrest them for it. It's really no different with the general public. It's not just the one's going to jail that try to make themselves look pitiful to justify wrong attitudes or actions, it's also everyday people in everyday situations. I know plenty of people who had it just as bad or worse but decided they were going to make better choices for themselves and better their lives no matter what circumstance they grew up in or endured. It is a choice. It is YOUR choice. You will either decide you are going to make a better path for you and the generations that come after you or you become exactly like the bad influences and keep on the same trail fighting with the same addictions.
When you constantly live in your past hurts or offenses, you give Satan more ground to work against you. I know so many people that live as if they have already been defeated because they cannot let go of self-pity or something hurtful. They dwell on it day and night to constantly remind themselves of how bad and pitiful life has been to them. Well, you know what? If that is your mentality, then life is not going to get any better for you!

I was sexually abused as a child and it was extremely difficult to forgive and let go of that kind of hurt. I knew though that God did not allow that to happen to me on purpose. He gives every human being the free will to make choices. The ones who hurt me operated in their own free will. They were not commanded by God to do those things to me so why would I blame God for it? Why do we praise Him when blessings come but blame Him and think He has deserted us when tragedy happens? One thing He did assure me was that He would heal and comfort me of that hurt. I just needed to operate in the obedience of forgiveness and He would carry me through it and I was going to be victorious. The Bible also says that what the enemy meant for evil, God would turn it to the good of those who love Him. Well, I am more than fine now. I am an awesome child of God and I've got the sweet victory of Jesus! I refuse to carry around self-pity. The past is the past. I believe so many people stay in a mental depressive state of mind because they won't let go of self-pity. They are determined to be self destructing. We must quit feeling sorry for ourselves, take responsibility and look to the future God has for us. His word says He has "plans for your future, to prosper you". Not to keep you down and defeated. That's Satan's plan. Do not complain or dwell on your problems, instead, dwell on the solutions God can bring for those problems. Purpose to be powerful!