A person who was overwhelmed and overcome with circumstances complained to a wise man who gave him a carrot, an egg, and some coffee beans. The wise man placed three pots of water on the stove. When the water started to boil, he placed the three items into the three pots. He then removed the carrot and showed how it had become mushy and weak. He broke the egg and showed how the soft yoke had become hard. He took the third pot with the coffee beans and poured two cups of coffee for both to sit down and enjoy. He wisely stated, “Do not let your circumstances change you as it changed the carrot into weakness, and the egg into hardness. But as the coffee beans, change your circumstances.
Lesson to Learn: Don’t let circumstances change you but change your circumstances. Outside a besieged city, “There were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? (2 Kings 7:3). As they were starving, they considered their circumstances saying if we go there “we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also… if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die… so they went there… behold, there was no man there.” The enemy fled and all were fed. They did not let their circumstances change them, but they changed their circumstances.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Everyone who has ever succeeded has overcome opposition and obstacles. You can overcome what overwhelms you (1 John 4:4). The Lord promises to bless overcomers in each of the seven churches (Rev.2-3). When the Devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. As Yogi Berra says, “It ain’t over till it is over.” God will have the last word and it will be good (Rom. 8:28). Remember what is over your head is under His feet (Eph.1:22). The Lord can do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Stop trying and start trusting. Let go – Let God! Keep your faith and hope. Faith is the evidence of things not seen – Hope is the expectation that it will happen. It is not what happens to you but in you that makes the difference. You may be knocked down, but you are not knocked out. Keep getting up, and you can win (Prov. 24:16). Paul Harvey said, “If you fall down seven times and get up eight times, you will succeed.” Losers never win, and winners never lose. Don’t faint which means to lose heart (Gal. 6:9). When you look at what is stopping you, it will either make you or break you. Greatness is not determined by what it takes to start you, but what it takes to stop you. I have never seen a happy quitter. So don’t stop, quit, give up, or give in. You can’t change the past but you can change the future.
When you are overwhelmed and overcome between a rock and a hard place, don’t just sit there till you die. Don’t let circumstances change you, but change your circumstances.
A failure is not someone who fails but someone who quits – TC
