| Shared Thought by Joy Puvana |
If our energy and enthusiasm in life depends on the love and encouragement we receive from our surroundings, then we have given our power away. From then on, our rising and falling will be beyond our control and we will be reduced to the level of our circumstances.
I would like to share a few lines from one of the poems of the famous author, Maya Angelou and it is called “I rise”.
“Out of the hurts of history’s shame
I rise.
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise.
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise”.
There are many ways one can take to rise above their circumstances . This can be broadly classified into worldly ways and Godly way.
There are many number of examples in the world where the indomitable human spirit has risen against the dire circumstances one found themselves in . Examples can be Nelson Mandela, Nando Parado, Shackleton etc.,
Let us meditate on choosing ways where we lean on God to rise above our circumstances.
1. Trusting our painful past and unpredictable future into the hands of God .
The stories of people in the bible are not there for our entertainment sake like an hour’s movie drama to be wowed at and forgotten later, but as ever guiding lamp-posts to follow when the turbulent waves of life toss us about. One such story is about Daniel, having lost everything a human being possibly can - family and friends, away from his beloved country and temple, captured and carried away like an inanimate parcel of goods and named totally different - yet nothing could snatch his dedication to his God .
Romans 8: 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. Focusing on what’s at hand and doing our best for God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Colossians 3 : 23-24 : whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men.
Ecclesiastes 9 :10, Whatever you do , do it with all your might .
3. Above all, we need to know whose we are and what kind of God we serve.
He is a God who lives, He knows everyone who has taken refuge in Him and He acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. Though we might be walking through pathless wilderness and scorching deserts, He helps us to be overcomers and sure we will mount up with wings of eagle and soar above!
4. Resisting the temptation of cheap, easy routes
Joseph of Genesis had every reason to take the cheap route which was freely offered and literally falling into his lap. But his mind was so strongly fixed on his Lord , he ran away from sin saying ,”How can I sin against my Lord?”. We all know how he rose from a sold slave to the post of Governor clinging on to God .
Rising above life’s challenges isn’t just about resilience but about transformation. By trusting in God, focusing on the present, knowing who we are in Christ, and staying true to His ways, we can rise—not merely survive—above our circumstances. Like Maya Angelou’s words, we can confidently say, “I rise.”