Be An Overcomer!


 “I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition”. Oswald Chambers 

First “I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me”.

 What are the “things” that come against you? I know to well what comes against me. The lies that I have believed for far too long. 

The worries, fears, insecurities to name a few.


So fighting against them is definitely a challenge. A learning process. To think about what I’m thinking about. Because if I’m not careful, my mind will wander down so many rabbit holes I can’t keep up!


 I can find myself getting worked up over things that aren’t even real! I can create scenarios that would blow your mind. I rehash past moments in my mind to the point where I don’t even know what the truth is!


I’ve had to learn, over time, that when I notice what I’m thinking to stop, and ask myself what Paul teaches in Philippians 4:8(ESV),“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”


 I know I can’t do this in my own strength, I know only God can help me, but I still need to do my part, I can’t become lazy in my thinking, if I’m going to overcome I have to fight this battle everyday. Why? 


Because the devil is relentless, he doesn’t want me to overcome, he wants me to feel defeated, he wants to destroy me, just like Jesus taught us in John 10:10. 


We must resist him and remain firm in our faith(see 1 Peter 5:8-9).

Then, as we learn to overcome, Oswald says, “it becomes a delight to meet opposition”. 


I’m not there yet, but perhaps that’s what James means in James 1:2-3, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” 


Maybe this is how we beat the devil at his own game, so to speak, instead of looking negatively at the trials or challenges we face daily, count them as joy! 


Recognize that God allows certain things in our lives to grow us in our faith and trust in Him. 

Recognize that He has a purpose behind the things that touch our lives. 


Easy? Absolutely not! But don’t let the devil win, be an overcomer! Read, pray, listen to worship music, but don’t give in, don’t give up, one day at a time! 


And yes, I am totally preaching to myself:)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Talk to Yourself

  “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”  Psalm‬ ‭42‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ ‭‭  This verse appears twice in Psalm 42, in verses 5 and 11, and again in Psalm 43:5. This made me wonder who wrote this Psalm must have been going through some challenging times. Have you ever felt this way or asked yourself similar questions? Why am I feeling “cast down”? Why is my soul in “turmoil within me”? Perhaps it’s because of an offhand remark that you took personally. How did those comments make you feel? Small, inferior, inadequate, not good enough? The list could go on. But why are you listening to the negative voices instead of the truth the Spirit is trying to convey to you? Don’t let your emotions or feelings overpower you. Instead of letting yourself speak to you, why not turn the tables and speak to yourself? Isn’t that what the Psalmist did in Psalm 42? They were likely growing weary of...
Read more

Always Pray and Don’t lose heart

Image
Have you ever experienced this? Problems accumulate, and your circumstances worsen. Every minor issue seems to bother you, making you feel like you’re under attack. All you can focus on is the current problem, and you’re at a loss for solutions, unable to see a way out. In such times, we must pause, take a deep breath, and pray that God would open our eyes, help us perceive His perspective, and trust in Him to find a way when it seems impossible. David penned Psalm 3:3-4 while fleeing from his son Absolam. “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.” In his fear and anxiety, what did David do? He prayed to God, and He rescued him. In 2Chronicles 20:1-23, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah faced numerous challenges and adversaries. What did Jehoshaphat do? He sought the Lord, proclaimed a fast, made others aware of the struggle, and set his face and fixed his eyes on seeking the Lord. He...
Read more

Choose Words That Speak Life

Image
  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Proverbs 18:21 ESV This proverb holds immense truth: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Our words have the profound ability to either wound or heal, to encourage or criticize, to build up or tear down. They leave lasting scars that can influence our decisions for years to come. Words have consequences. Consider the story of Numbers Chapter 13. The Lord instructed Moses to send twelve men to scout the land of Canaan, the promised land. Out of these twelve, ten returned with a disheartening report, instilling fear in the hearts of the people.  Numbers 13:32-33 says, “So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from...
Read more