From Victim to Freedom

There was a long period in my life when I felt utterly helpless. I was trapped by the circumstances I grew up in and powerless over my future. The anger that grew from what others did or said to me left me feeling even more defeated. I became a victim of my own low self-esteem, weighed down by poverty and convinced that no one could love the face I saw in the mirror.

My thoughts spiraled into a constant cycle of "Why me?" and "How could this happen?" It felt like life was a series of unfortunate events that I was powerless to control. But God, in His infinite wisdom, had a different plan for me—a plan that involved breaking through my denial and showing me a hard but liberating truth: I was responsible for my choices.

My life began to transform in ways I never thought possible when God opened my eyes to a hard truth I had long ignored. For so many years, I carried the weight of my past, blaming childhood trauma and those who hurt me for every wrong turn I took. I convinced myself that I smoked because my parents did, that I struggled financially because I came from poverty, and that my battle with weight was just the scars of my broken self-esteem from years of being bullied. I was stuck, carrying the pain of yesterday—until God showed me that I could break free by simply choosing different.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." This verse has become a lifeline for me. It enforces in me that transformation starts in the mind, and that renewal comes when we stop conforming to the world's way of thinking. For me, that meant acknowledging my role in my own suffering and taking accountability for my actions.

It’s easy to point fingers and say that someone else is to blame. It’s far more difficult to admit that the choices I made, the paths I walked down, were ultimately up to me. But the moment I accepted that, everything began to change. I realized that if I was responsible for my choices, I also had the power to make different ones. That’s the beauty of accountability—it empowers us to change.

James 1:14-15 says, "But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." This scripture hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t blame the enemy for everything because, as the verse says, it's our own desires that lead us into temptation. The enemy may present the bait, but it’s our own decision to take it.

When I finally accepted that, I found a new level of freedom in Christ. It wasn’t easy—far from it. But as I began to take ownership of my life and my choices, God began transforming my mind in ways I never could have imagined. He showed me that I didn’t have to be stuck in a cycle of bad decisions and self-pity. I could choose differently. I could choose life, peace, and righteousness.

Galatians 6:7-8 reminds us, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." This truth was both humbling and empowering. It meant that the harvest of my life was directly related to the seeds I was planting. If I wanted to see a different harvest, I had to start planting different seeds.

And so, I began the journey of sowing seeds of faith, trust, and obedience. I started making decisions that aligned with God’s will for my life. It wasn’t about perfection, but about progression—about taking one step at a time toward the life God intended for me. And as I did, I saw the fruit of that labor: a renewed mind, a transformed heart, and a life that reflected the grace and mercy of God.

Taking accountability was the turning point in my walk with God. It was the moment when I stopped being a passive participant in my own life and started actively choosing the path God laid out for me. The enemy may still try to tempt me, but I now know that I have the power, through Christ, to choose differently. And that has made all the difference.

If you’re struggling to see change in your life, I encourage you to take a step back and ask yourself: What choices have I made that have led me here? And how can I start making different ones today? Remember, there is power in taking accountability. It’s not about shame or guilt, but about recognizing that through Christ, we have the power to change, to grow, and to become the people God created us to be. You are the only you God chose to make, and no one could do a better job at being you than you.