Many people that we talk to feel that because they screwed up their life in the past,  they have no future in leadership.  They feel that because of their past and past choices that no one will ever listen to them as a leader nor allow them into a leadership role. We teach them what God says in  Jeremiah 29

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

We then talk about the fact that we are created to good things that were planned long ago.  To reiterate that we use Ephesians 2

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

But to undo our “go to behaviors”, which sabotage our futures and make us believe we can never be good enough, we have to “transform our thinking”, so we add Romans 12:2

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)

So when people say they can’t become a leader or something different in their life because of their past, we challenge them to start seeing themselves worthy as God sees them and to do something different with their life. As Paul writes in Colossians 4

 “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you” 

You may have a past that has lots of rocks and very little soil, but as you can see in this picture that this TREE has grown anyway and is full of color and alive.

 Or maybe your life has been flooded with bad choices that would stop you and, because it doesn’t look like the perfect circumstances to grow, you allow fear to stop you.  But as you can see in this picture even being surrounded by a lot of water these trees are still growing.

So don’t let others or your past stop you from doing what God has asked of you:

Be sure to GROW where GOD PLANTS YOU….