As we look back at the year 2014 would you say that it was a year of spiritual growth for you? What would be the three top highlights in your relationship with Jesus? Would you say that you are further along in your journey, having grown and changed over the previous year? Or would you say that you managed to stumble through, you maintained, you did mediocre?
Most of us would like to see ourselves as giants of faith, trusting the Lord and pushing through the barriers to our living for Jesus. Unfortunately most of us can be seen as a foolish person who makes it through rough patches by the grace of God rather than by any act of faith on our part. Much of this past year would have to fall under the category of "by the grace of God", as we panicked from crisis to crisis with the Lord always plucking us out because of his grace not our faith. But we have been called to greater things than "stumbling through".
A life of faith is not a "close your eyes and hope you make it" situation. Faith is not blind. Faith is how we live based upon us trusting the promises of Jesus Christ. It is knowing those promises and living according to them. A faith life is a purposeful life, understanding that the promises are to see us through our mission. It is knowing those promises so we can apply them to our situation. It is going from "glory to glory", growing, maturing, learning deeper things about the Promise Keeper, and becoming more through him.
If you have had it with "getting by" or "squeezing through" it is time for you to step into a true life of faith, a walking by the Spirit and not by what you see. Those who walk by faith are never overcome or discouraged by what they see because what they know in the promises give them greater vision and power.
Christians are neither weak nor discouraged by what we see around us. We are more than these things because the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. Whatever challenges are ahead of us have purpose in our mission so we trust that we will be equipped to face them and overcome them because Jesus has already overcome the world. This year is a year of victory because yesterday was a day of victory, as is today, as will be tomorrow because of Jesus in us.
Today, be determined to know the promises by which we live and the one who made those promises. You are so much more than you could possibly think or imagine because of the one who is living in you.
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