Today I was flipping trough the 200+ channels on tv, and I happened to pause on a program which depicted a young man overcoming all odds to claim triumph. Victory.
I was subtly reminded (if you know me, you know that this is NOT always so subtle) that victory never tastes so sweet as when we have to work for it. When we truly triumph, we have overcome the odds. There isn't "winning" unless a battle is waged. Consequently, there is no "losing" either. This applies to all areas of our lives.
I reflected on my own past battles and realized that God had purposely placed me in the struggles, so I would know what complete victory IN HIM and WITH HIM would feel like. So that I would be face-to-face with my own mortality, weaknesses, and pain, and have to completely rely on His strength, patience, love, and faithfulness to overcome. So that I would know - I mean truly KNOW - what it means to be victorious. You see, too often we think we are the ones capable of success. Pride dashes our reliance in the Creator. We think we actually have some mysterious power, all on our own, to "win" in life.
We are wrong.
We need guidance. We need a Shield. We need help. We need deliverance.
Feebly, we assume that we "catch a break" when some minute detail is favorable to our circumstances. We act on impulses and dig our proverbial graves, then numbly stammer about until, magically, we get unstuck.
We forget to praise and thank the One who raises us from the muck and sets us on the path to triumph. We neglect our responsibility to Him who has already won the battle, Who so graciously shares the spoils of salvation with those who could never earn it.
We would all be so smart to realize and remember that these minuscule "triumphs" are merely the catalyst of spiritual growth to Kingdom service, and they can each be attributed to God's loving grace and the mercy of Christ.
Not to us, but to YOUR NAME be the glory, Lord!
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