When Wilma Rudolph was four years old, she got a bad case of scarlet fever, and she lost the use of her left leg. She didn’t learn to walk again until she was seven years old.

In 1960, this same determined young woman, now twenty years old, won three gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games—in running events. She overcame a slow start in life and became a champion.

Old Testament hero Joseph had some obstacles too. Although his were not physical like Wilma’s, they were huge roadblocks. As a boy reared in a blended family, he was favored by his father and hated by his jealous half-brothers. They thought they got rid of him by selling him into slavery. And when he got to Egypt, he was falsely accused of trying to seduce his master’s wife and thrown into prison.

Yet Joseph became a model of courage and dependence on God. Despite many setbacks, he rose to become governor of Egypt. Under God’s providence he became the “savior” of his family—including those very brothers who had treated him so cruelly.

Perhaps you’re off to a bad start spiritually. Maybe you’ve made some bad choices and now have huge difficulties to overcome. Don’t live in pity, wishing you were someone else. Start where you are, lean on God, and see what He will do in you.

The same God whose grace and power took Joseph to the top can also help you work your way past the worst spiritual obstacles. Call on Him for His forgiveness and help. With God on your side, you can overcome a bad start.