They Don’t Have Power Over You

By Timalyn Franklin

As women, we often get caught up in what others think of us. In fact, there is a culture with shows like Basketball Wives and Real Housewives that display women fighting about what someone else says about them.  Women on TV, and in real life, are willing to go to the extreme of physically fighting someone because of what they say about them. Think about it, grown women fighting over words.

The Saturday before Resurrection Sunday, I watched the “Passion of Christ” and it hit me that no one can put a title on your destiny without God’s approval. Jesus knew that he is the son of God and King of the Jews. People wanted to kill Jesus because “He made Himself the Son of God” (John 19:7). Think about someone wanting to kill you because you know who you are and you are living the title that God gave you. However, it happens daily to us who have haters. No, haters don’t want to physically kill you, but they want to kill your spirit.

Jesus didn’t react to what the crowd said because Jesus was connected to his Father. Jesus had prayed and God told him that in spite of all the attacks Jesus would endure Jesus’ destiny would still come to fruition. Jesus was so calm in knowing that he was in his Father’s will that Jesus ignored Pilate. In John 19:10, Pilate responded to Jesus’ silence by saying “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

Pilate really believed that he could stop Jesus just as many of your haters may think they can stop you. People think that they can use their actions and words to keep you from receiving blessings. Our problem is that we believe our haters more than we trust God.  Jesus knew who was in control of him and according to John 19:11, Jesus responded “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given to you from above.” If you are in submission to the Lord, no one else has power over your life. When people are trying to block you from your dream, you should pray to our Father for answers and trust in His word.

Before Jesus endured the crowd, he prayed. In John 17:1-5, Jesus prayed to prepare himself for all he would endure in fulfilling the promise. Jesus knew that he needed prayer in order to maintain his composure as others attempted to tear him down. The fight has to be on your knees and not with your fists. When you are under submission, God will allow the actions of your haters to push you closer to what He has for you.

The Jews wanted Jesus killed for saying he was “King of the Jews”. The Jews’ hatred for Jesus led Pilate to crucify Jesus. Without Jesus’ death, there would be no salvation. Pilate crucified Jesus as the Jews requested. On the title of the cross, Pilate wrote “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews” (John 19:19). The Jews were upset that the inscription had been placed on the cross and wanted Pilate to change the inscription so that the title read “He said “I am the King of the Jews””. Pilate refused to change the title and he was unknowingly fulfilling the promise. No matter what anyone said or did Jesus died “King of the Jews” as the inscription read. No matter what anyone says, you are going to fulfill the destiny that God has for you as long as you are obedient to Him and trust in Him.

The story didn’t end with Jesus’ death. 1 Corinthians 15:4-8 discusses that Jesus rose from the dead. The tactics of the unrighteous helped Jesus get to where God planned for him to be all along—by the Lord’s side. When people try to harm you, you need to pray to the Father and stand firm in knowing that you will look back one day to realize that the tactics of your critics propelled you to your destiny.

As women, we need to stop trying to prove that others are wrong about us and walk into our destiny. You don’t have to fight on any social media site or in person because someone says something about you. You need to learn these three simple lessons from Jesus:

1.       Pray that God glorifies you so that you can glorify Him;

2.       Never stop believing who you are and whose you are;

3.       Let your enemies know that they don’t have power over you by walking firmly towards your blessings.

Never stop believing you are a God fearing woman who has a God-given destiny that will be fulfilled. Your enemies have no power over you.