Championship matches are recurring events. The winner is celebrated for a period of time until the next contest winner is crowned. Repeat victory is not guaranteed. If you wish to be the champion again, then you have to work to earn another title. Some contests provide each entrant with a ribbon or medal acknowledging their participation. There are also instances where a winner may only compete once.
Christ’s desire is for all of us to be victorious. He doesn’t hold contests where we battle each other for love and blessings. Forgiveness is not a lottery. The inner work, the transformation of our heart does not require us to have a persuasive story of why we are good candidates, in hopes of gaining victory.
This is also where we are challenged. Victory through God does not mean that we will be problem-free. There is a misconception that we won’t have any hardships when we fully surrender to God. That in choosing to love and serve Him, we are now protected by a divine force field shielding us from all temptation.
There are difficulties we encounter due to our own choices. Sometimes our hardships come as a repercussion of someone else’s decisions. Many times, the struggles occur because the enemy is cruel.
Victory does not look identical for everyone. Sometimes it happens when we overcome an affliction. Other times, the victory is in the indescribable peace that God gives, enabling us to face each day with a steadfast hope. Victory is in the inner work that God does within us. Nothing about our circumstances may change visibly while everything in our heart, our soul, and our mind has shifted completely.
No matter where we are in our life’s journey, remember that God wants us to have victory. This is another purpose for why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives: to help guide us to victory. In the midst of our present circumstance, let’s ask God to help us redefine victory.
______
by Sabrina Jacques-Rowe
Henderson Highway Church Communications Director
______
At the start of each year, the church participates in 10 Days of Prayer. This article explores the 2020 series, “Seeking God’s Spirit”. See other articles in this series here.