Being More Than a Conqueror

It’s taken me a lifetime to fully understand what it means and how to live the victorious life Jesus died to give us as believers. I remember my growing-up-spiritually years. I was a whiny kid and a less-than-confident teenager, a young wife and mother learning the ropes of responsibility. I was a good-doer attending church faithfully and really loved God with all my heart. But, I didn’t have a “conqueror” mindset. As I grew in my personal relationship with Christ, studying His Word and making every effort possible to serve Him wholeheartedly, I came to understand what it means to be “more than a conqueror”. Romans 8:37 says Christians are “more than conquerors” in this world. Maybe that's far from how you feel today, but in Christ, that's who we can be. We certainly need to get that indelibly imprinted on our hearts so that we get it, understand it and become it.

That verse is in response to the Apostle Paul's questions before saying we are “more than conquerors”: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35). And, then he replies in Romans 8:37: “NO, in all these things we are MORE than conquerors through Him Who loved us.” Sounds to me like Paul could have been right here with us during our situations today. He tells us we can be more than conquerors in the midst of hardships and right in the middle of a trial. Paul certainly proved it is possible. Being more than a conqueror means whatever the enemy uses to take us out, he fails every time.

It means we stop naming ourselves “forgotten, loser, mess-up, mistreated, etc.” It means we persevere to the other side of the trial and wait, expectantly, for our new name, “more than a conqueror”. When we keep our old names, identifying with our old stories, we make the name-changing process about us. Yet this overcoming process is not about us; it’s about God revealing His name to the world.

When we fully understand that Jesus came to give each of us a life of abundance (John 10:10), then we'll see ourselves as more than a conqueror through Him. All the enemy wants to do is kill, steal and destroy what God wants us to have. He wants to diminish us – make us small-minded and small in spirit so we’ll live a small, frustrated life. Whatever your situation is today, God knows about it. He sees you and hears the cry of your heart. Welcome His overcoming love, grace and power. Live it. Own it. After all, you ARE more than a conqueror through Christ.

Time to Unleash the Lion Within

Time to Unleash the Lion Within
It's the 365th day of 2018. I made it -- 365 days of posting a positive word each day to, hopefully, bring inspiration to others. I've had to make sure to stay "in the zone" by seizing the moments, noticing little and big God-encounters, and recognizing that God is always speaking. I just had to tune in to His still small voice, and, often, His big booming voice as I witnessed His object lessons to me through nature, His Word, His kids, and His embrace. I showed up for my daily appointment with God, and He was faithful and ALWAYS showed up for me. And, please trust me, my meditations have increased my desires to grow even stronger in my faith and witness.

I was deeply inspired by the message my daughter spoke at Dwell Church yesterday. “It’s time to stop with the labels of abused, broken, sick, defeated, divorced, too old, too young, too fat, too thin, too afraid and realize WHO lives in us. It’s time for us to GET UP and pick up our “mats” and turn those labels into stories of strength and redemption and conquerors who change the world.” Her message made me start to think about how we keep Jesus in the manger way longer than we should. He is no longer there. He is the great “I Am”, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and it’s time to unleash the LION of the Tribe of Judah Who lives in us and let Him out. I love that song, "My God's not dead; He's surely alive. He's living on the inside; Roaring like a lion."

Revelation 5:5 “But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory…..”

We’ve kept sweet, meek and mild, little baby Jesus in the manger long enough. We’ve set limitations on what we should or shouldn’t say about Who He is and what He has done in our lives which means as long as we keep Him caged up, we are keeping others from coming to know Him as we do. It’s time for the boldness and courage of the LION to come out of us to a hurting and dying world.

I don’t want to tame the LION in me and become a pious little old lady that looks the part and doesn’t display the strength of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah that lives in me. Jesus certainly isn’t a household pet that should be caged up and let out occasionally for a walk around the block with us. He IS the LION of the Tribe of Judah and as I go into this new year, I want to put the key in the lock and let Him out more in my life than ever before. Won’t you join me in that commitment? To free the Lion to do the things that only He can do if we will just let Him out? Being bold enough when a friend is in pain, that we remember WHO it is that lives BIG in us and we say “Can I pray for you?” Being courageous enough to invite a lonely friend to church or a Bible Study. To gather our family around us and boldly speak to them about our faith and God's love and amazing grace.

Listen to the roar! Let the LION out! Dear Lord Jesus, I truly desire to set You free from the limits that I’ve put on You as to what I’m willing for You to do in and through my life. I pray that you will stir others to join me and to set You free in their own lives, too! May 2019 be the year when the "Lion" was set free in our lives! In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

TEAM-Work: Together Everyone Accomplishes More

I’m back in Austin with my two youngest grandsons who make for sweet times of board games, helping with homework, helping feed the animals and all the other shenanigans that works Nana’s brain AND body! LOL!

I was helping Bryson with his science homework which included the study of birds, and specifically, pelicans. Instead of working alone, I found out that pelicans work in teams which gives them a better chance at a good meal. As we read some of the characteristics of the pelicans, Bryson exclaimed: “Those pelicans are so annoying. They would not leave.” I knew what he was talking about. He remembered back to when he was just four years old and an invasion of pelicans overtook their boat, which was loaded with the fresh fish they had caught. See the photo here. Notice that Bryson wasn’t letting them boss him around, but those pelicans were there to support each other as a team. I like that. TEAM-work. Together Everyone Accomplishes More.....EXCEPT in the case of a very strong willed boy!!

This photo is one of my all-time favorites. You can tell this pelican was by no means the "boss" of Bryson and he showed it! LOL!

Maybe you've heard your kids or grandkids say "You're not the boss of me!" to a sibling or someone else. But have we ever made that statement to ourselves? Actually, we can, and we should.

”How often do we yield to temptations -- big and small? Instead of eating a few chips, we eat the whole bag. Instead of just a piece of chocolate cake, we go in for a second slice. Instead of walking away from listening to an obscene joke, we laugh with them all. Instead of changing the channel or walking out of a movie when the content is questionable and almost every other word is profane, we just sit there and take it in. Instead of eating nutritiously and getting exercise, we talk ourselves out of it. We then justify it all by saying "I just can't help myself!" But, in reality...we can. It's about Who the Greater One is that lives in us. The Holy Spirit knows what is best for us instead of letting our flesh be in control of us.

I daily desire to choose being on God's side -- endeavoring to be the conqueror over the tactics of the enemy. In fact, I think the most exciting journey in life is simply saying, "God, I want to change. I want to please You. I want to be more like you." I want YOU to be the boss of me.

The good news is this....it's not a process we have to conquer on our own. Our TEAM -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are with us to help us accomplish so much more than we could ever do on our own. God's Spirit in us is our Helper, our Guide, our Comforter and Partner in accomplishing whatever it is we may face. Very soon, we'll start to realize that we have some real authority because of our TEAM. When that happens, every time our flesh tempts us, all we have to do is speak Bryson's words to our flesh "You're not the boss of me!"

We Can Do This!

There's a lot of folks out there complaining about the weather, the economy, the government, their job, their co-workers, their spouses, their children or their neighbor. And, then there are folks who are always optimistic, "can-do", undaunted in their attitude to win, and whether the sun is out -- or hiding behind a cloud -- they always see it shining. They walk into a room and the sun comes in with them. When the worst of the worst happens -- the best of the best comes out of them. I'm just sayin' -- WE CAN DO THIS! We can be conquerors and overcomers and always see the glass FULL. You ask "HOW?" Let THE SON come into your heart -- then the GREATER ONE will live in you, and He will give you the confidence and strength to live above the fray....COME WHAT MAY!!
We really CAN be difference makers. Come on....WE CAN DO THIS!