Hope that endures in a world full of darkness sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s vitally important that we as the Body of Christ remain focused on the hope that lies within us. Taking our eyes off Christ, the one who has supplied our victory in every area, can lead to depression, victimization, and hopelessness. Regardless of how dark things may appear, in Christ there is abundant hope. Our Savior lives! He will make right all wrongs. We have His Word on it!
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). We as Christians are world overcomers. But the victory we have has been provided to us and not because of us. The bible says that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us (Romans 8:11). As God begins to bless others through us, His children, lets remember that the results we see here in this life is because of the one who lives in us and not because us.
There is always hope regardless of where you are in life because we serve a God who rules and reigns over the impossible. If all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26), then there are no impossibilities for the people of God. An indication of an unrenewed mind is hopelessness. When the mind is renewed to the Word of God we think differently. The renewed mind sees the world and situations in the world through the lens of God’s Word. If nothing is impossible for God then those who renew their minds will live lives where He is free to do the miraculous through them.
Living by faith is something that cannot be done passively. Living by faith is an ongoing process. The bible tells us to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) which tells me that faith in God’s Word is something that I’ll have to contend for. But in my contention for the faith, character is being built. Assurance in that which I’ve given my life over to is being reinforced. My beliefs are being established and testimonies of the goodness of God are being collected which can be shared with those who follow behind.
Finding the will of God before entering into petition prayer helps us to hold fast to our faith until victory is realized. When we pray knowing who we are, what we have, and what we can do in Christ, in essence, we have the answer to our prayer before it’s prayed. Knowing we already have that which we’re asking for (1 John 5:14-15) makes living by faith easy. We’ll know that any delay in the realization of what we’ve prayed for by the will of God, with the faith of God is merely gaining momentum.
The renewed mind dominates the issues of life. So many times in scripture we are implored to change our mindset. It can be argued that the number one quest for the Christian is to think Christ-like. To approach life with a different outlook. The scripture tells us to set our minds on things above, and not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). The very root of the word “repent” means to change your mind. When we change our minds and think differently, our bodies have no choice but to fall in line and obey the dominant thought.
Bold faith must be attached to something. It’s not a product of the mind. It isn’t a product of will power. Bold faith comes from the heart of man. It doesn’t make sense because it’s not based on anything sensual…meaning it’s not based on anything that can be substantiated by our 5 physical senses. Bold faith is born from the Holy Spirit revealing the truth of God’s Word to us in such a way that we no longer believe it to be true. We know it to be true. Nothing can stand against the Word of God revealed to the spirit of man.
Patience is the bulldog that sinks it’s teeth into something and refuses to let go. Patience flips the switch of faith on and will not turn the switch off until answered prayer shows up. Many times the object of our faith is right around the corner but discouragement dispatched from the enemy neutralizes our patience and we give up, cave in and quit. I’d like to encourage you to allow patience to have her perfect work. For in doing so, you will discover a life where lack is non-existent (James 1:4).
Joy belongs to me. It’s a fruit of my recreated spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Nothing has the right to dislodge me from the joy that resides on the inside of me. Not even disappointment from a prayer that appears to go unanswered can. Don’t allow the world nor the circumstances to dictate the level of joy you walk in. Find something to rejoice about. No matter how low you think your life has sunken to there is something to rejoice over. If you’re down and out right now you’ll soon find out that it’s possible to rejoice your way to joy.
Give your attention to things above and the enemy won’t be able to trick you by making your problems look larger than that actually are. The devil uses the natural circumstances of life to strike fear in the hearts of the believers. God uses the promises in His Word, taken by faith to combat that which can be seen. We lie in the middle. What we choose to focus our attention on will either destroy us or bring us overwhelming victory. Choose wisely.
Trial tested faith produces patience. And standing on the other side of the door of patience is a life of completeness. A life of maturity which lacks nothing (James 1:4). But first things first. To fully engage patience we need to know with all certainty that our heavenly Father loves us. He has our best interest at heart. Once these are settled we can endure tests, trial, and temptations knowing that a God who loves us will use the good fruit of patience to draw us closer to Himself.
Keep hope alive when you run up against the challenges of life. Doing so will help you to look beyond your present circumstances to the victory which lies beyond your challenge. Hope, backed up by faith, with a side of patience is a combination that will never fail. I’d like to encourage you today to keep your hope alive. Focus on the end result of answered prayer and not the current situation. No force on the face of this earth can stand when hope, faith and patience are at work.
A divine plan is waiting to be born. That plan was placed within you from the beginning of time. Where you are right now in life didn’t catch God by surprise. Get over yourself. You’re not a failure. If you’re having suicidal thoughts get over your selfishness. Someone needs what only you can provide. God needs you to give birth to His plan in a way that only you can. Take the blessing He placed within you and bless the world with it!
Patience is the most important element when it comes to answered prayer. A cake left in the oven for 10 minutes makes a horrible dessert. The dough is warm and crusty in some areas. It’s gooey in other areas and it will probably make you sick if you eat too much of it. Only a cake left in the oven for a full 60 minutes can be enjoyed the way it was meant to be enjoyed. Likewise, when you pray, allow patience to run it’s course. God knows precisely when to take your prayer cake out of the even. And when He does, it will be enjoyed by all who taste it!
Fail your way to success and you’ll learn life lessons along the way that you can share with others to help them along their journey to success. Never be afraid to fail. Take your shot at the opportunities in life and trust God to be with you as you prayerfully move through this life. We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. Fail, then learn as you go. A successful person is merely the person who failed and then tried one more time.
God cannot lie. Every Word that proceeds from His mouth is 100% truth. Which means everything He has said about you is true. So why do people have a problem when you say about you what God has said about you. As children, we are to emulate our Heavenly Father. That means becoming comfortable with saying what He said, regardless of the thoughts and opinions of those around us. You are, you have, and you can do everything God said you are, you have, and you can do or else God lied to us. But wait…..God cannot lie.
Leaving a legacy of faith is what we as Christians have been commanded to do. Teaching our children, our grandchildren and all future generations the ways of God insures that the gospel will eventually reach every corner of the globe. It’s become increasingly difficult, but I encourage you to live a life that makes a permanent mark for Christ on the lives of those around you. Don’t allow the impact of the world to be stronger than the impact of He that resides within you.
What’s love got to do with it, you may be asking. What’s it got to do with anything? Love is the embodiment of the living God. God is love. Many want God to show up in their situations. You can call God into your situation right now by simply reaching out and showing love to someone. Love cannot exist apart from it’s source. And the source we’re talking about here is God. As you take your eyes off self and show love to others God will manifest His love toward you through the actions of others.
Our mysterious God has placed the nutritional substances we need for spiritual growth within Himself and His Word. The fact that we will never know all there is to know about Him forces us to live by faith. It forces us to trust Him. Both faith and trust are born out of not knowing. The next time your senses are deprived from proof of what you need, want or desire coming to past, know that the mysterious side of His Word is the catalyst for your growth and development.
Trust is blessed assurance. There are many adjectives that can be attached to the word “trust”, particularly when it comes to trusting in the living God. The larger your vision of who God is, the larger and more grand your trust in Him is. Trust is the absolute assurance that God is who He said He is. It’s the absolute assurance that He will do what He said He will do. Our undying trust in Him makes Him our rock that is unshakable in every situation. As the line from the old hymn goes, Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.