From barely surviving to more than conquering

We all go through stages in life that prove to be difficult. A job loss, break up of a marriage, health issues. Many things can lead us to a place where it seems as if it is all we can do to just survive. The creditors are calling, relationships are fracturing, and dreams are disintegrating. Days become weeks, and weeks become months. You remember a time when things were better. And you wish, you hope, you pray. If there was some way you could turn back the clock, to a happier time in life, you would.

Your life may be in the barely surviving mode. One definition of survive is to remain or continue to exist after the death of something. That may seem to define you... barely. You feel as if you are clinging to life and striving to exist. You are barely making it.

We all must learn not to evaluate WHO we are by WHERE we are. Remember that many a person who we view as being successful went through seasons of life when things looked as if they would never turn around. The key when you are in surviving mode it to hang in and hold on. Don't quit. You are not defined by what you are going through. Your Maker has called you as being "more than a conqueror." (Romans 8:37)

Think about the statement the Apostle Paul made. We are more than conquerors in Christ. It tells me that there will be some battles along the way. There may be some trials that are overwhelming. You will outlast the storm, endure the season, and win the battle!

I am glad to report that seasons change! Your change is already under way. You are shifting from the survival stage to the conquering stage!

STILL KICKIN'

Ever feel like you've been knocked down? Situations in life seem overwhelming? If you have experienced those times, or if you are presently going through a stressful situation, you are not alone. Pressures of life happen to everyone. It is not a question of IF, it is a question of HOW we will respond that we need to address.

I'll confess that I have failed at times in the crisis. I have doubted when I should have believed, and complained when I should have praised. Yes, I know what it is to "miss it." And I never want to underestimate the pain of someone else, nor do I want to judge them for their response. The line to an old country music song comes to my mind "Walk a mile in my shoes... before you criticize and accuse." When we have walked in the shoes, or path, that another is walking, we can understand their situation. We are not as likely to judge them as we are to pray for and encourage them when we have done so.

The thing that is stirring in me today is to encourage you. You are a survivor! You are still here. In the midst of the storm, you are still kicking. Yes, you may feel battle scarred and battle weary. You may feel lower than a snake's belly, but you are breathing. You are alive.

Do what David did. Encourage yourself. Pick yourself up. Ask God for help. Believe that He is working for you. Sing a song. Take a walk. Talk to a friend. Attend church. Read your bible. It ain't over, until God says its over, and He hasn't said that.

I know. As they say... "Been there, done that." Yes, I have. And I'm glad to say I'm

STILL KICKIN!

You're a victor, not a victim

Have you ever felt like you were a victim of circumstances? That you were held captive by others' choices? Most of us at some point have experienced difficult times. A marriage break up, a financial collapse, a moral failure, a disease, or a relationship failure.

There are choices each of us make which sometimes lead to the problem. But then there are those situations where you were blindsided... you didn't see it coming. You didn't know someone could be so cruel. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months. Some trials are over in a few days, and some take years to recover from. It is in the down times where we feel as if we are a failure. We play the blame game-- on them, on God, on ourselves. We can become bitter and cynical. We often shut ourselves out if we're not careful. Sleepless nights of worry and fear. And here you are, a bible believing, spirit filled Christian. You don't act like nor feel like you are either.

But what you are going through doesn't define who you are. You are the apple of God's eye. He made you for a purpose, and nothing can deter it. As a matter of fact, He will use the very things you are going through to propel you to your destiny.

Consider Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers, lied upon by Potiphar's wife, forgotten by the baker and butler. He was kidnapped, put in a pit, sold as a slave, imprisoned. But when we read the final chapters of the book of Genesis, this Joseph is in rulership, second in command only to Pharoah. Victim? Hardly. We know him as a victor. But you see, we have the benefit of reading the other chapters, or as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.

The rest of the story has not been written in your life. I speak from experience. My life went through it's own personal hell, as our ministry went through a church split. Three years of wondering if we were going to make it left me feeling as if I were a victim. It wasn't easy, but we survived. We hung in there. We prayed, we cried, we prayed again. We kept on doing what we were called to do. I can report today that the church is growing and full, lives are being changed, and there is revival in the air.

When you don't feel like you're a victor, you still are. And when you think you won't make it, you will. I believe in you today, and God believes in you. That's the main thing. Hang in there. And if you ever need a friend to talk to, give me a shout.

Blessings,
Pastor Ronnie