Be An Overcomer

Last week I talked about how fear is the opposite of love and faith. We were made to succeed with God on our side.

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." 

We will see many trials in our lives. Some of the trials are due to our own ignorance or bad choices and others we have absolutely no control over. All of them can be overcome with a feeling of peace if we follow Jesus. He is the ultimate overcomer of the world.

I have peace as I deal with multiple sclerosis on a daily basis. I know that God is working in me little by little due to this disability. Sure He can heal it any time and I wouldn’t mind. However, I’m also not going to complain about it still being here today. It does give me something to overcome and learn a great deal of patience and other things. Okay, some days I need to retreat so I don’t lash out incorrectly due to hurting too much. Despite this ailment, I know God is on my side and Jesus is right there helping me overcome.

Rom 5:3-5 NLT

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us — they help us learn to endure. 4 And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. 5 And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

That is what I rely on. I will keep doing what God is directing me to do even if I might take longer due to my disability. I’m still here so I know God has further purposes for me before He takes me home. Even on the bad days I’m trying to be the proper servant and not letting fear of not accomplishing things get in the way. Fear is a show stopper even for the perfectly healthy.

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells us the parable of the talents. The lord goes away after giving each servant talents to invest while he is gone. Two of the servants manage to double their money. They don’t react in fear because they know the blessing they will get if they can do a good job or even try. Now the servant who only got one talent reacted in fear. The lord definitely thought he could do something or he never would have given him a talent in the first place. The two that did the job correctly got rewarded with more. What happened to the fearful servant who hid the money in a hole in the ground where it couldn’t even make interest?

Matt 25:24-30 NKJV

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 

26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 

Don’t be the servant that does nothing due to being afraid. No matter what life throws at you keep on walking with Jesus. You will finish the journey as an overcomer rather than an outcast that loses everything due to fear.