What Doesn't Kill You....Makes You What, Exactly?

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  We’ve all heard that saying. Yes?? 

I saw a post on facebook one day where someone talked about that quote and how it wasn’t necessarily true. They said that challenges and hardships in life don’t necessarily make you stronger just because you simply survive them. It’s a CHOICE to be stronger.

And I found that to be so true.

How easily we have bought into a lie. Thinking that just because we survive something or tough it out, we will be stronger for it. When in reality, a lot of times, we are weaker simply because we never made the choice to be better and stronger. 

We stay back “there” in that moment. We relive it. We dwell on it. We let it shape us. And before we know it, we stay sitting there forever…as a victim.  We certainly aren’t stronger.

We are broken.

The people who are strong in life, are strong because they chose not to be weak. It doesn’t matter what they are going through. Strength and weakness isn’t just about physical strength. It’s about emotional and spiritual strength.  It’s about choosing to let a moment either not define you at all, or define you in a different and better way than it was intended for.

For most people, others aren’t going to come in and rescue you. YOU have to rescue yourself. By reaching out and by reaching in. Reach out for help. Bury your pride and acknowledge that you need help. Reach in and do some serious talking to yourself. Pray. Read God’s Word and let HIM enter the picture if you’ve previously shut Him out or simply left Him on a shelf; only to grab Him when you want Him.

Life is crummy sometimes. The unthinkable happens. The dreams are shattered. We hurt. But we can stay used and abused or we can use IT to our advantage. Let it build us, shape us, and grow us into better, wiser, and stronger people.

Bethany Hamilton was bit by a shark and lost her arm. She could have quickly lost herself in despair and given up her dream. But she chose not to be weak but to let God help her be strong. Inspiring millions.

I know of several Christian speakers and authors who were abused as children. They could have let that dictate their lives. Instead, they turned it into a ministry.

What doesn’t kill you…well, it won’t kill you. It’s up to you to decide if it will make you weaker and stronger.

Which one will you choose?