Have you experienced struggles before? And what did you learn from it? How did you overcome it? You’ve probably heard it said that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Yes, because there are hidden strengths in struggles.
Just yesterday, I was watching a YouTube conversation between Taymesan and Titoluwa Sam-Oladapo, and the Holyspirit imprinted in my heart, a wonderful insight shared in that dialogue. And this has inspired this timely article.
In Titoluwa’s words “God does not thrash your pasts, he uses them”. The revelation I got from there was: how sometimes, the very traits we express in our worst moments, those habits we beat ourselves up for, that particular struggle or addiction are simply strengths misdirected. That insight, though simple, felt deeply profound.
Because suddenly, a bad habit wasn’t just a flaw anymore. It was a raw and untamed potential. Let me expatiate:
What if your addiction was evidence of a fierce commitment?
What if your struggle with lust was proof of a longing for deep connection?
What if your laziness masked a gift for stillness, observation, or careful timing?
What if your financial struggle was proof of your call to steward wealth with wisdom?
What if your procrastination revealed a mind that values depth over speed?
What if your people-pleasing tendencies was a hidden strength for empathy and peacemaking?
Bad habits, while destructive, often reflect latent strengths or qualities expressed in the wrong direction. Recognizing this can be the first step toward powerful transformation.
Let’s consider the two examples in the Bible that Titoluwa explored:
Paul of Tarsus: The Misguided Zealot
Before he became the apostle Paul, he was Saul, the man who terrorized the early church.
“As for zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Philippians 3:6 (KJV)
Saul was zealous, passionate, and devout. Unfortunately, that passion was pointed in the wrong direction. He persecuted Christians, dragging men and women from their homes, imprisoning them, and consenting to their deaths (Acts 8:1–3). But here’s the miracle: when Saul encountered Jesus, God didn’t erase those traits. He redeemed them. He used them for His glory.
That same zeal turned him into the most tireless apostle of the early church. The communication skills he possessed in convincing others to persecute Christians, dropping their clothes with him, he channelled it into preaching Christ vehemently.
Have you read any of Paul’s epistles? Do you see the grace and peace in those writings? Can you imagine the Bible without the 13 epistles Paul wrote?
“But I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (KJV)
He traveled through Asia Minor and Europe preaching the gospel, writing 13 epistles, surviving stonings, beatings, shipwrecks, and prison. Why? Because that fire was already in him. God simply lit it up for His glory.
Rahab the Harlot: Strategy in Strange Places
Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho. To many, her story should have ended in shame and irrelevance. But this woman had sharp instincts, emotional intelligence (people skills) and a heart that could recognize the move of God even from the shadows.
“I know that the Lord hath given you the land… for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” Joshua 2:9,11 (KJV)
She negotiated the lives of her family. She hid the Israelite spies, deceived the soldiers of Jericho, and aligned herself with God’s people. That took courage. That took skill. That took faith.
Later, she married Salmon, became the mother of Boaz, oh yes, that same Boaz who redeemed Ruth. And Boaz? He was kind, God-fearing, wealthy, honorable, and principled. He didn’t become that way by chance.
You see, Rahab didn’t just leave her past, she transformed it. The same thoroughness and attentiveness that once served a sinful profession became tools for legacy-building and faith.
She was listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).
Your Bad Habit Might Be a Misused Gift
Let’s be honest here, addiction, procrastination, lust, fear, they’re ugly on the outside. But under the microscope of grace, they often reveal traits like:
1. Addiction — Consistency, persistence
2. Procrastination — Reflectiveness, patience
3. Lust — Desire for connection
4. Overthinking — Analytical thinking
5. Fear — Sensitivity, awareness
Don’t be too quick to kill what God wants to redeem. Don’t pass judgement that “I can’t get out of this”. God will not only take you out, He will show you the hidden strengths and how they can be properly channeled for His glory.
I Cor 10.13 KJV “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
God knows you can overcome the bad habit, and has given you the sufficient grace.
Ask yourself: What strength is behind this struggle?
So, How Do You Channel It?
1. Name the strength behind the habit.
Ask, what good trait is buried here? How can I channel this for God’s glory and purpose in my life?
2. Genuinely Repent and surrender it to God.
Like Saul on the road to Damascus, let that strength fall into the hands of Jesus.
3. Redirect the energy.
Create. Serve. Lead. Build. Teach. Your discipline in addiction could become discipline in prayer. Your obsession could fuel a vision.
4. Don’t walk alone.
Saul needed Ananias. Rahab needed the spies. Surround yourself with people who see destiny in you, even while you’re still in process.
God Doesn’t Waste a Thing
If He could turn a persecutor into a preacher…
If He could turn a harlot into a heroine…
He can take your worst habit and extract His greatest glory.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV)
So the next time you beat yourself up over a bad habit, pause.
Look again.
There just might be a Paul or a Rahab buried underneath the struggle.
Let God bring it out!
Today, ask Jesus into your heart, confess and forsake your sins and repent of them. Surrender completely to Jesus and let Him guide the strengths in you for a greater purpose.
God bless you
EGC 2025
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