Read Rick’s 31-Day Devotions
One of the most potent truths you’ll ever learn is that life is not primarily about what it has dealt you but how you respond to the disappointments that come your way. Those two reactions to life’s problems are worlds apart. The fantastic news is that you have the ability and intelligence resident inside of you to live in such a way that you can put God’s name on display regardless of your circumstances.
Of course, you could do as I did when I was a teenager. I had no mature mentor and no understanding of this transformative truth. As a 15-year old angry teen, I was sitting in jail for my awful decisions. It did not have to come to that, but I would not own my responsibility for the choices I had made. All I could do was blame others for my problems. The victim mentality is your worst enemy, and I gave in to that temptation.
It was so easy to blame others for what was wrong with me because, quite frankly, some of the people in my life did me wrong. When you mix disappointment with a legitimate complaint, you’re on the doorstep of victimhood. Do not take that next step.
The bad things that have happened to you do not have to define you. What if you transcend your troubles by allowing Christ to transform you? The best choice you’ll ever make is to follow Jesus. You will submit to someone or something. Let His name be yours. Join His family. He will be glad to adopt you and give you a new identity.
Rick launched this training network in 2008 to provide life-changing resources that equip Christians to help others. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology, and in 1991 he received a BS in Education. In 1993 he was ordained into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, CA. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).