Yesterday was a lovely day. I had fun getting the kids dressed in their new outfits, church was a blessing, lunch at my mother-in-law's was yummy.
The kids outfits are now soaking in the washing machine, the resulting bloat from lunch has gone, but a line from my pastor's message yesterday has played again and again in my mind. The message was about the victory side of Calvary. At one point He was talking about how, as Christians, we can approach struggles with sin. He said (as best as I can remember) "We complain about a sin, or we say 'I'm always going to struggle with this sin' or 'I can't get the victory over this.' No!! You have all the power of the universe!"
Yes, the Savior is loving and kind, but He is also powerful and victorious. And that power is mine to claim as His child because He conquered death and He conquered sin. I needed to be reminded that Jesus has all the power I need to be victorious. I can mother today expecting to be overwhelmed and at some point lose my cool and act sinfully and selfishly, or I can mother depending on the power of Jesus to stomp out the selfish monster, and be the minister of love and care I know I should be.
Jesus is the victory!
About Me
- No No Nanette
- I have Jesus, my Creator and Savior. I have a great husband and three wonderful kids. I have a love-filled life. I have the tendency to talk too much and laugh too loud. I have the terrible compulsion to blab all my faults and type them out for the whole world to read.
5 comments:
Good thoughts Nanette. There are some sins that do seem to stick aren't there? I have found that their power over me is directly proportional to my level of fellowship with God at any particular time. I remember reading in my "Love Dare" book, "Because our hearts are so subject to change and so utterly untrustworthy, the Scriptures communicate a much stronger message than 'follow your heart.' The Bible instructs you to lead your heart. This means to take full responsibility for its condition and direction. Realize that you do have control over where your heart is. You have been given the power by God to take your heart off one thing and to set it on something else." When I read that, I remember thinking, "Wow! I have power by God! I really have this?! It doesn't feel like it." So, my next question became, "How do I access this power?" "How do I apply this power?" I think this is a familiar struggle for everyone, whether they are battling some sin, struggling with an addiction, struggling to lose weight by controlling their eating habits, struggling to stick to a budget when they really want to buy something they can't afford, etc. In each case, something in us is fighting a very strong will to pull us in a damaging direction. Sometimes, I don't even put up a fight, sometimes I feel powerless, give in, and fail, and sometimes I simply say no through the power of God. These things are moment-by-moment choices affected by what I choose to believe at any given moment. It comes down to a matter of belief. Didn't Jesus often say, "Because of your unbelief..." If we say we can't have victory, aren't we calling God a liar? But I do marvel at the temptations Jesus faced and denied. I am inspired by His example. How did He do it? He spent a lot of time alone with the Father. And He kept His eyes on the reward to come.
Becky, thanks for your comment here. We should be partner bloggers - I start with a very simple thought, then you expound, and hit it home. :) You are right, the more time I spend with Jesus, the more of His victory I will experience.
Oh no! I didn't mean to upstage you on your own blog! I was just intending to discuss this very intriguing idea with you. This 'victory' we have in Christ is at times an elusive idea. It seems simple, yet it isn't easy to comprehend. I didn't mean to boil it down to, "Just go spend time with the Lord, Nanette!" Because, let's say hypothetically we are doing that and walking before God perfectly. We will at some point face a temptation or encounter an old, familiar sin pattern, and in that moment, in that instant, how do we have the victory, that is already guaranteed, when everything in our body is telling us and propelling us to fall? That is why I am in awe of Jesus. Really, how did He do it? How did he go through an entire lifetime consistently denying His flesh? Amazing.
didn't feel upstaged - I love comments. I tend to not expound on my ideas all too much, and often feel my posts are a bit simple. I enjoy what you bring to the bloggy table!
Um, yes, this is my great flaw: I analyze EVERYTHING! I expand it, dissect it, and then try to put it all back together in something cohesive. It sometimes is quite wearying to others. It's just the way I'm created. I love discussing these fascinating ideas with you!
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