Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who was taken to one of the death camps in Nazi Germany. All of his family and friends were gassed and murdered. He writes in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, about one day when he stood in front of the Gestapo, stark naked. They had taken away the prisoners’ clothes and even Frankl’s wedding ring. As he stood there with nothing at all, he suddenly realized there was one thing the Nazis could not take away from him: his choice in how he would respond.
Life is ten percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond. Jesus offers this memorable promise to those who have been beaten, battered, and belittled: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
Recovery Step: If you are an addict, you are likely a survivor of abuse, trauma, and isolation. But you are a survivor. That means God will actually use your past if you let him.
