“Ain’t Nothing Wrong with You!”

“Can you help me file for disability?” the young woman asked.

Taylor (not her real name) had come into our LifeBuilders program because of a drug problem. All her life, she had been taught to “work the system” to get by.

“No, I won’t help you file for disability,” I said. “I know it doesn’t sound proper but hear me: “Ain’t nothing wrong with you!”

Taylor got mad. She stopped talking to me unless she had to. She felt hurt and judged. But I saw something in her that she could not see yet.

 The Seeds We Hear Growing Up 
Many of us grow up hearing things like:
• “You can’t make it on your own.”
• “Use men to get what you need.”
• “Get all you can from the system.”

We hear it so much, it feels normal. We think, this is just how life is.

In our program, I led a group discussion about this. We talked about seeds — words and ideas planted in us by family, friends, and the streets. Taylor was in the group that day. She heard how some seeds are lies, not truth from God.

The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) This means that some things feel right to us, but that is only because it’s all we know. In fact, they may be hurting us, not helping us.

When a seed that is not good for you is planted in your heart, it can grow. It can shape how you live, how you work, and who you choose to be with.

 Taylor’s Wake-Up Call 
One thing Taylor really wanted was her GED. That meant a lot to her. She studied, then she took a practice test and did very well.

Taylor was so excited. She called her sister to share the good news.

Her sister scolded, “Why are you doing that? If you pass that test and get your GED and start doing well, you won’t get disability. You didn’t finish high school. You have an addiction. All that can help you get a check.”

While her sister was talking, the truth hit Taylor. She thought, That’s it. That’s the seed. That’s the message I’ve been hearing my whole life.

The very next day, Taylor came to see me. She shared, “In my family, we were taught to work the system. We were taught to get all we can out of men. If one man can’t help you, move on to the next one. All my life I’ve been looking for things to be wrong with me.”

Then she smiled and said, “And guess what?”

“What?” I asked.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with me!”

This time, she said it. And she believed it.

 Five Years Later 
About five years later, I was getting out of my car. I spotted a woman running toward me from the bus stop. It was Taylor.

She had on work boots and shorts with paint all over them.

“Guess what I do now?” she asked.

“What?” I wondered.

“I renovate homes. I learned how to fix them up. And I’ve taught my sons how to do it too.”
• She was doing hard work. Real work. She was proud and smiling.
• She had stopped looking for a handout.
• She had stopped trying to prove she was “broken.”
• She had found out she was capable and valuable.

 God’s Way vs. The Old Way 
Our families and neighborhoods often mean well. They teach what they know. But sometimes what they teach does not match God’s Word.

God says you are loved, chosen, able to grow, and made for a purpose.

The Bible says: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

With God, you are stronger than you think. You are smarter than you were told. You are worth more than a check.

It may feel scary to trust God instead of “the old way.” But like Taylor, you can build a new life — one step, one choice, one new seed of truth at a time.

Maybe today is your day to say,

“Ain’t nothing wrong with me. God made me on purpose. And with Him, I can live a new way.”

There is nothing wrong with getting help when you need it.
• Disability help can be a blessing if you truly cannot work.
• Unemployment can help for a short time between jobs.
• Programs, shelters, food banks, and churches can be lifesavers.

But those things are meant to support you for a little while, not become who you are.
You were made for more than just getting by.
You were made to soar!