Chosen: Becoming the Person You Were Meant to BeShembull

When I say change where you live, I’m not suggesting that you relocate to another state or look for a new residence. I want you to locate where your state of mind is relative to how you process information.

Poison is defined as something that is destructive or harmful or something that inhibits the course of a reaction or process. Many times when you mention the word poison, people relate it to serious matters such as drug abuse. However, your poison could be so hidden in your daily life that you don’t even recognize it as being the thing that is harmful to you becoming the person you were meant to be. It could be as simple as procrastination, the love of money, jealousy, or wasting too much time on social media. Whatever is holding you back is considered poisonous to your destiny.

One of the things that was impeding my progress regarding ministry to others was the fear of being responsible for somebody else’s life. I was running away from it, but God was calling me to it. 

I can also say that money was a past poison for me. Money is not evil; it’s the love of money that’s evil. Yes, we need money, but the pursuit of it can be obsessive and addictive. In my early days, I thought that money was the cure for everything that was wrong in my life. I reasoned that if I had money I could change my circumstances, and that in turn would change how I was feeling on the inside. For me, that wasn’t true. I eventually put money ahead of relationships. I missed a lot of time at home because my priorities were out of alignment. Money had a hold on me instead of it being the other way. Eventually, I was freed from the bondage of the money trap and was able to move forward with what God was calling me to do with my life.

You must also be mindful of the company you keep so that someone else’s poison doesn’t become yours. For example, if one of your friends struggles with pornography, drinking, gluttony, or fornication, being in their company when they are indulging is not good for your focus. Energy is transferable, and so are poisons.