Issue 1| 2023
Your Life Has Purpose
Your Life Has Purpose
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Satan had a heyday with me while I was<br />
down. He reminded me daily how I had<br />
missed the mark as a mother and wife. He<br />
told me God’s plan would never come to<br />
fruition for my kids or me and that I had<br />
experienced all the good I ever would. It<br />
didn’t take long before I was engulfed again<br />
in a hopeless pit of despair and self-pity.<br />
All I could see was an endless dark tunnel<br />
with no light, closing in on me. I lost sight<br />
of all the progress I’d made.<br />
A good thing happened during this dark<br />
season though. For years, I had refused to<br />
talk to anyone about my mental health or<br />
seek medical help. I’d used God as an excuse,<br />
telling myself that He alone was my<br />
Healer; I didn’t need anyone else.<br />
Don’t get me wrong—God is the Great<br />
Physician, and He can heal anyone of anything.<br />
But I wasn’t actually receptive to His<br />
help because I didn’t want to confront the<br />
painful issues of my past. Finally, I realized<br />
that unless I faced my past with God, I had<br />
no hope of breaking free from the darkness<br />
that held me captive.<br />
It wasn’t easy, but I started sharing my<br />
pain, first with God and then with other<br />
trustworthy people. I took the cap off the<br />
place in my heart where I stored my emotions<br />
and painful traumas and let them<br />
rise to the surface. One by one, I gave them<br />
over to God.<br />
First Peter 5:7 (NIV) invites us to “Cast<br />
all your anxiety on him because he cares<br />
for you.” As I realized the depth of God’s<br />
love for me, I trusted Him more with my<br />
pain. As the old traumas, disappointments,<br />
emotions, and my sinful behavior came to<br />
light, I would write them down, pray, and<br />
then release them to God. It helped me to<br />
remember that God’s love was unconditional<br />
and that no matter what I shared, He<br />
would not reject or judge me (John 3:17).<br />
With time, the light of His love overcame<br />
the darkness that had tormented<br />
me (Psalm 18:28; Matthew 4:16). The Lord<br />
also gave me strength and peace to seek<br />
professional help. I am grateful for those<br />
He put in my path to help me. God never<br />
gave up on me, even when I wanted to give<br />
up on myself.<br />
Today, praise God, my mental and emotional<br />
health is more stable. In 2020, God<br />
graced me to launch a nonprofit called<br />
Striving with Vision. I now have the privilege<br />
of helping women discover their worth<br />
in Christ and encouraging them to strive<br />
toward a better future. My past victories<br />
with God have equipped me for this journey.<br />
In the process, I’ve found that serving<br />
others helps me avoid becoming consumed<br />
with my own struggles, especially my son’s<br />
incarceration.<br />
There’s a saying, “Nothing worth having<br />
is easy.” I know this is true. My life has<br />
been one fight of faith after another. But<br />
the “good fight of faith” is what we must<br />
all face if we want to be victorious over our<br />
circumstances (1 Timothy 6:12).<br />
Satan and this world are not just going to<br />
roll over and let you experience the goodness<br />
of God’s plan. You must be willing to<br />
face the fight! God will strengthen you for<br />
the journey and grace you for success.<br />
It may not seem like it now, but there is<br />
hope for your tunnel’s end. Keep casting<br />
your cares over to God. Remind yourself<br />
daily of the victories you’ve already experienced<br />
and cling to your faith that more<br />
will come. And then rise, aim, and move<br />
forward with purpose (1 Corinthians 9:26).<br />
In Christ, you are a conqueror over every<br />
situation (Romans 8:37). No circumstance<br />
or person has the power to stop what God<br />
has purposed for your life (Isaiah 54:17;<br />
Jeremiah 29:11). Well, no one except you.<br />
Your unbelief in God, refusal to believe in<br />
yourself, and unwillingness to keep going<br />
will stop you in your tracks every time.<br />
Right now, maybe you’re fighting that<br />
good fight of faith. You’re taking steps with<br />
God toward a better future. I’m so glad.<br />
Keep going; you’re going to make it. You<br />
can be victorious.<br />
But maybe, like I often did, you’ve gotten<br />
sidetracked, knocked down, or delayed.<br />
Friend, it’s time to get back up. It’s not too<br />
late. God’s love is big. Nothing you’ve done<br />
or experienced has disqualified you from<br />
the good things He has for you.<br />
Get your eyes off your circumstances,<br />
your failures, and those deceitful emotions.<br />
Instead, give them to God. He will help you.<br />
Then rise and take the next step He has<br />
for you.<br />
Don’t know which step to take next? Ask<br />
Him. He’ll show you the way (Proverbs<br />
3:5–6; James 1:5). And when He does, move<br />
in faith and purpose with tightly secured<br />
boxing gloves.<br />
You’ve got this because God’s got you!<br />
Above left: Latoya and her children approximately 15 years ago. Above right: Latoya<br />
and her mother, Sarah Grady, at Latoya’s ordination ceremony.<br />
LATOYA WILLIAMS is the founder of Striving<br />
with Vision, an empowerment support group, and<br />
an ordained minister. To find out more about her<br />
nonprofit or to invite Latoya to speak at your event,<br />
visit strivingwithvision.com.<br />
18 <strong>Issue</strong> 01 / <strong>2023</strong> VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM