Overcoming

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." [Rom 8:37]

Paul wrote that we shall overwhelmingly conquer in all these things. What are these things? In verse 35 he gives us a list. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword.

Tribulation comes with pressure. The word literally means pressing together. I talked to a man at our church this week who told me about the pressure he feels under with his job. He has a performance based job. Everything depends on results. Right now the results are not so clearly evident. He feels the pressing together to perform at a higher level. This is leading him to feel stressed and overwhelmed.

Distress means to be in a narrow place. In our terminology this would refer to someone in a tight spot in life. It also can mean extreme affliction. I know many people living like this. The extremity of their affliction is heart wrenching. You wonder how such people get through each day. No matter how hard they work they can't seem to catch a break.

To be persecuted means to be harassed and troubled for one's faith. Persecution involves mistreatment. How many missionaries are mistreated. How many pastors and youth pastors are harassed by churches who do not appreciate them or want their ministry to continue. How many of their wives suffer silently with nobody to talk to and to share the pain. Living like this can lead to fear and bitterness.

To live in famine means to have scarcity of crops due to the weather. This often puts people in financial crisis. Having lived in west Texas I began to appreciate prayer for rain for the crops. A bad year of famine meant a bad year at harvest. This affects the livelihood of many farmers and that affects the local economies of many towns. Most people know what it is like to have a lack of financial resources. It is not a fun place or way to live.

Nakedness. To me this speaks of extreme poverty. When you are so poor you struggle to even have your basic needs met such as adequate clothing. Fall is setting in here at North Texas. In two weeks we have seen a a thirty degree shift in temperatures. Many people live without adequate clothing to stay warm in the winters. Most of us cannot relate to that but there are some who wear threadbare clothing. They cannot afford anything else.

Peril is to live in danger. There are followers of Christ around the world who live in danger every moment of everyday. They are hated and targeted to be killed and or persecuted. Many of these people will suffer a martyr's death.

The sword refers to living in war or contention. The most extreme cases refer to the battles between warring factions where soldiers are called in to settle disputes. There are also personal conflicts between  quarreling people that lead to contention.

Now if you take all of those things together, Paul said through Christ who loved us we overcome. We overwhelmingly conquer. That phrase means we gain surpassing victory. You might not feel you are gaining the victory. Your circumstances may be getting the best of you. Through Jesus we have access to personal victory. Not only that but surpassing victory.

The tendency is to give in to our perils, persecutions, distresses and discouragements. I did this yesterday. I poured out my frustrations in an email to a friend. God used the responding email to help me toward gaining the surpassing victory. Read just part of the email.

This life is hard, no doubt. I, myself, question at times where's the abundant life? But when I am still before Him, He brings to my mind this question, "where's my focus?" On Him or on my struggles, heartaches, sorrows, etc. cause when I focus on those things, (which is easy to do since at times those things out weigh the joys) man can I get discouraged! 

Those simple words proved to be an oasis in the desert of my experience. Reading them and thinking through them set me back on the right track. When my focus is on Jesus and not my circumstances I overcome. Like an athlete overcoming the competition I gain surpassing victory not by my will power but by my submission and trust in a Sovereign God. 

Like so many things that is easy to write but harder to live. I said yesterday I would learn to cope with disappointment through four things, scripture reading, thanksgiving, lingering in the Lord's presence, and filling my mind with faith lifting thoughts. I have done that today. 

I thanked God for the warm water in the shower after my workout. I thanked God for time with Taylor as we lifted weights before school. I thanked God for my breakfast. I thanked God for the solitude I have in this office. I thanked God for life, family, friends and health. 

I have lingered in God's presence and meditated on the scripture above. I am filling my mind with positive truth and thoughts that uplift faith.

Yes, my friend is right. Life is hard! Lingering in the Lord's presence I have peace and He helps me overcome whatever comes my way. Persecution, tight spots, financial pressure, poverty, and even danger. None of these things have the power to defeat me if I walk with God and keep my eyes on Him. When I do those things I overcome. I then gain the surpassing victory.