During an interview, famed comedian and producer Keenan Ivory Wayans shared a conversation he had with his father as a college junior. Renown for producing comedic sketch “In Living Color”, Wayans was in his third year of an engineering program when he decided to leave college. His father attempted to convince him other-wise reminding him that having a college education would give ‘something to fall back on.” Wayans responded to his father, “If I don’t have anything else to fall back on, then I know I will give it my all.” The rest is comedy.

When we are a young we are always asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up.” We should all of answered, “the best me I can be.” We were all trained to answer, doctor, lawyer, policeman, etc. We are often not raised to develop ourselves, we were raised to depend upon a job or a spouse these are early crutches put into our lives. It is only now, that a new generation is not afraid to explore the freedom of being themselves, even if it is mislead or detrimental.

Dependency makes us desperate. It hinders us from progression and handicaps us from reaching our full potential. When we have a safety net we are less likely to take a risk or seize a God given opportunity. In essence we begin to develop ‘crutches’ that keep us crippled.

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Everyone’s crutch is different and can be anything from drug addiction to approval addiction. Some women are addicted to always having a man in their lives and go from relationship to relationship. Some men use a crutch of ego to deny the truth of insecurity. Whatever we find ourselves dependent on becomes our crutches in life.

We can become so dependent on some-thing that when the crutches are kicked from under us we really have no strong foundation. We are unable to stand on our own and are often even more dependent on a system of survival that we all despise.

John 5:1-8, there is man laying by the pool in Bethsaida who had an ailment for 38 years of his life. When Jesus came by He asked him, “Don’t you want to be well?” Of course Jesus knew his situation, He understood how the angels stirred the water and the protocol of first in – first healed. Jesus questions the man’s desire to be healed, to move on with life, to be free from the crutches he had grown so dependent upon. Even then the man stops and gives Jesus a blanket statement he had often rehearsed, “No one is here to help. I want to but I can’t on my own.”

These statements are really very familiar to all of us. They become the things that we say when it is asked of us why we haven’t moved on an idea or taken a risk. The truth is we are much like the man at the pool.

Sometimes we stop ourselves from being our best because we are waiting on someone else to do it for us, when really we are the persons responsible for our own future and well being. It is up to us.

Jesus said to the man, “Get up, take up your bedroll and start walking.” Jesus says to us, “Get up, stop making excuses, quit depending on people and things, start moving in the right direction, progress and be whole.”

What is your crutch? What is the thing or things in your life that you have become dependent on? What is keeping you from reaching your full potential?

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1. Identify. Look at the crutches in your life. Be honest with yourself. You know what you are dependent upon and what crutches you have. Ask yourself what are you afraid of. Answer the question and keep your �nger on the answer. This will be the truth that will set you free from your crutches.

2. Be willing. Dig deep into your past. Often we want to move forward dragging all of the things that keep us down. I encourage you to uncover the layers of pain, disappointment and even failure that may be keeping you ‘at the pool’.

3. Motivate yourself. Don’t wait for someone else to co-sign on your dreams or ideas. Take a step, if even a small one, towards where you really want to be in life. There are no perfect times in life to start or stop a thing. Only the here and now. Get prepared for late nights alone with your vision and earlier mornings of execution. This may require you to do something out of your normal routine.

Be Encouraged! Standing on your own two feet is hard but it is not impossible.

When you fall down get back up and start over. We are all subject to err you are not alone!

Say This Out Loud:“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:30-32

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 John 4:3-5

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”Philippians 4:12-14

Bye Bye Crutches! Hello Independence!

Be Encouraged is a publication of Assigned to Encourage!™Design and layout provided courtesy of Integrity Designs

All written materials are the original work of the author. Copyright restricted. All rights reserved. Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible -

various versions.

Kira McConico’s universal assignment is to deliver encouragement to the hopeless through her Assigned To Encourage! ™

Words are powerful and can be spoken into dark times and bring light to life's situations.

In addition, Kira is an inspirational speaker. Her target audience is young women ages 17-30. She frequently speaks at area schools, domestic violence shelters and other organizations to encourage young women to pursue their dreams no matter their past.

While her target audience is young women, the message of encouragement is for everyone!

For booking information visit: www.assignedtoencourage.com.