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I love football season, friend. It is my favorite for many reasons, but one is how definite it all is. Sure, it might be disappointing when my favorite team loses, but the outcome is pretty cut and dry. Either we win or we lose. Rarely is it a tie, and even if it is, I'm pretty good with that.
But in life, the gap between a victory or a defeat feels much wider, blurrier even. When God allows less than stellar circumstances in my life, I attempt to straddle the imaginary line between the two. This inner conflict causes me to question what do I really believe? Do I really believe God can even when He doesn’t? Do I really believe that I Jesus came to conquer the world, handing me the victory?
As I find myself fighting for a mindset of victory, I have come to know this : When my foot is firmly planted in defeat, God is small and my circumstances are big. But when my foot is firmly planted in victory, God is big and my circumstances are small.
So the question I ask myself is this : how can I get BOTH of my feet firmly planted in victory?
“Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Is 46:11b
Let's just call it what it is, okay? When my heart claims a posture of defeat, I doubt the Lord’s promises are true. I seek success in the world and not in the obedience He has called me to. My eyes are overcome by the smallness of what I see - whatever path laid out before me. I have to realize that my view is so incredibly limited, and when my heart is filtered through my view instead of God's, my attitude is is also limited.
I can't see victory so I feel defeated.
But what would happen if I knew that victory is there, even if I can't see it? How could that change my attitude, my posture, even my actions?
The world correlates being victorious with being the winner doesn't it, when the finish line isn't even here. Sure, we might win a few battles, but the war will never be complete this side of Heaven. The eternal victory is in Heaven, our victory today is in Jesus.
We must remember being victorious doesn't mean winning every game, succeeding in every attempt or necessarily getting that promotion at work. This is the problem when we draw blurry lines, friend. We get stuck looking at a biblical concept from a worldly perspective. Of course, when we don't "win" we may feel defeated. Absolutely! When we don't get that promotion, that book deal, that audition, of course it stinks! This is a normal feeling.
But that defeat, that loss even, does not take away the victory that we as believers have! We cannot let our mind get stuck in defeat! We have to step back, take a deep breath and go back in once again while we continue pursuing the glory of God here on earth!
When I find myself with an attitude of defeat I have two choices. I can either wallow in the depth of (sometimes legit) emotion, OR remember who God is, allowing Him to be bigger than whatever circumstances I am staring down.
Victory does not come from winning but instead from remembering that life isn’t about us, but about God’s purpose for the world. Defeat is trusting in people or circumstances that will let us down. Victory is trusting God to do what He says He will. Defeat is allowing our emotions to control our reality. Victory is allowing God to control our emotions.
Let's allow God to have the victory over our circumstances today, acknowledging He is exactly who He says He is and will always, always be that way.