You Can Face Defeat, But You Must Not Be Defeated

"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated." Maya Angelou

 Maybe in your life today, you are facing something that seems as though it's overtaking you. You feel like the worry and struggle from this situation is overwhelming your life, and you don't know where to turn. You don't know what to do, especially if it is surrounding you, to get rid of it. Well, the one piece of advice that I want to give to you today, is to not be defeated.
 Now what does that mean? And how can we not be defeated when facing something like this? Hasn't it already defeated us? And the answer is no. This situation will not, and never will defeat you; that is, unless you let it.
 Now see, the definition of the word defeat, is to be overcome or beat. So yes, we can be overcome, this situation can be us down, but we cannot become defeated. You may not think that there is much of a difference, but let me tell you that, the difference that there is between the two, could be life-changing.
 Think about it this way, when you are overcome, and when you feel as though the situation is beating you, you are trying to keep going towards whatever it is that you are trying to reach. You don't give in to your obstacle, and you prove it wrong by trudging on, no matter how overcome you may feel; and yes, you may feel stressed, and you may feel weak, but looking to God for the strength and courage that He has for you gets you through it. Now defeated, on the other hand, means that you give up. You take all of it and, thinking that it is just too much for you to handle, you sit down and give in to it. Now do you see the difference? We can face defeat, and we can be overwhelmed, but you are going to get through it, and God is going to get you through it, but you must never become defeated.