Are You Experiencing Victory or Something Less? (I Cor 15:57,58)
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (I Cor 15:57,58)
Song - Faith is the victory... O glorious victory that overcomes the world.
So many Christians experience phyrric victories that masquerade for the spiritual victories that are won through the Lord Jesus. Phyrric victories are those which are won through efforts of our flesh that may win a few battles but end up costing us so much that we eventually lose the greater wars. The following are some of the ways that we can transform our fleshly experiences into Christ centered victories that are enabled by the power of the word, the Spirit and the fellowship of godly believers.
1. Exchange the volatility of our emotions with the stability that is found in worship of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. When the resurrected Christ appeared to the disciples the Bible teaches, "When the disciples saw Him they worshipped Him but some doubted. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matt 28:17-20) True worship ascribes the entirety of our heart, soul, strength and mind’s love to the Lord for all that is He without reservations. That total allegiance gives one stability in the midst of the volativity of life’s emotional ups and downs.
2. Exchange our temporary human victories with the eternal sense of victory that is given through confident trust, reliance and adherence to the Lord Jesus who fights and wins every battle. Too many people are waging battles that are just not worth fighting. They are arguing about trivial things that are extensions of their egos. James says it best, "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is it not your own desires that wage war in your members. You lust and do not have so you fight and quarrel." (James 4:1-4) Ask God to give you the discretionary equanimity of spirit, soul and body so you do not get stressed out over the things in life that really do not matter from an eternal perspective.
3. Exchange vindicativeness with a forgiving, merciful and compassionate heart. So many of us want things to be fair so we tend to react when we are cut off in traffic or slighted in any way. Instead of over-reacting or over-dramatically responding to irritations let us allow the Lord to help us remember to be as forgiving, merciful and slow to lose our cool as God is with us. (Eph. 4:28-32) Forgiving one another just as God in Christ has forgiven you.
4. Exchange any victim mentality with the fact you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you. Neither tribulation, persecutions, famine or nakedness will be able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:31-35) God is for you so you are never powerless, forsaken or victimized by circumstances.
5. Exchange any vitriolic critical and caustic attitudes with an upbeat, confident and courage disposition. God told Joshua as he was to take the Israelities into the promise land. "Be strong and courageous and act. Do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord God goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work of the house of God is finished." (Josh 1:9) There is so much sarcasm, cynicism, and disbelief today in our world that it is endemic. Replace this with the confident expectation that God will do what HE says He will do and act on that conviction of anticipation. HEb 11:1 - Faith is assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.
6. Exchange vapid or insipid-indifferent attitudes toward spiritual matters with a willingness to engage in spiritual warfare. Paul wrote, "We battle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms." We are in a battle and therefore we will either emerge as victors or the vanquished. Choose which end you want to experience.
7. Exchange vulgarity with purity. So much of the reason that people are not living victorious Christian lives is that they are not pure in heart. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God." (Matt 5:6-8) Without a clear conscience, a holiness of mind, heart and emotions we are inhibited in our fellowship with God and limited in our ability to experience His empowering, enabling and enlightenment.
8. Exchange venomous language with edifying speech. By criticizing, complaining and speaking negatively about others we find ourselves polluted by our own judgmental attitudes. If we want to experience good we need to put away our critical speech pattern, gossipping and criticizing and put on edifying patterns of as Paul wrote about, "Speaking the truth in loving (Practicing, holding it forth) let us grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ." (Eph. 4:15)
9. Exchange visionless living with the visions that God has with goals of what is planned for your life. The Lord has special plans, goals and objectives for you that only are given to you as you envision what is ahead. Quit looking back at the past. Stop comparing yourself with others. Ask God to show you the next door of opportunity He has for you to serve in so that you can keep on asking, seeking and knocking until He opens the best avenues of ministry for you. (Matt 7:7)
10. Exchange any vapidness or lack of interest with vivaciousness, vitality and vigor. Those who are full of enthusiasm are going to be reproduced and multiplied by the Lord. "From them shall proceed the voice of thanksgiving and I will multiply them and they will not be few." (Jer 30:19)
11. Exchange vitiating thinking that tries to debase others or opportunities with a vibrant testimony of the great things God is up to around the world. Read and involve yourself with the modern missionary movement to get a glimpse of what God is doing around the world in completing the building of His church. (Matt 16:18) When we are so busy in the expansion of His church we minimize our own sense of uselessness, depression or self-pity.
12. Exchange the vicissitudes of life with the certainties of God, His promises and HIs projects. The Lord always has something special for you to do everyday if you just listen to His word and voice. HE does not want us to have to live with the uncertainties of circumstances or be caught off guard by the setbacks of life. The Lord is our refuge and strength. A very present help in the time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the mountains give way and they fall into the heart of the sea. There is a river that makes glad the city of our God. (Psa 46:1,2) A mighty fortress is our God. (Luther wrote that hymn after mediating on Psalm 46)
13. Exchange:
a. Vulnerability with your assurance that He will never leave you or forsake you so that you can confidently say, The Lord is my helper from whom then shall I be afraid." (Heb 12)
b. Vices with His virtue
c. Voiceless sense with prayer
d. Victim mentality with His victory that inspires, motivates and overcomes evil with good.
e. VENEER AND SUPERFICIAL THINKING with the certainties found in what is true, NOBLE< RIGHT PURE< LOVELY AND ADMIRABLE
f. Vainglory with humility
g. Vacuumed territory with Christlikeness witness
h. Veto mentality with positive contributions for the cause of Christ for eternity.
i. Vacillation with steadfastness that always is abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
j. Vine detached with abiding in the Vine as we cannot bear fruit of ourselves for apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15)
k. Vulnerable with sheltered underneath His wings.
l. Virtueless with clothing ourselves with the virtues of Christlikeness, faith, goodness, self-control, brotherly love and godliness.
m. Vulgar with a holiness that allows one to live in vital union with God in our mind, will, emotions and behavior.
n. Feeling valueless with loved with an everlasting love.
o. Vicious with being caring, compassionate and tender-hearted forgiving one another.
p. Victim mentality with being more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Being of good cheer since Christ has overcome the world
When we realize that God is all we have then we can appreciate that His grace is sufficient for whatever comes into our life. He is the Jehovah Jireh - My God will supply. (Phil. 4:19)
