Realize When You Have Won
Dear Connections,
I would like to encourage you today and tell you a simple truth: you have already won. That means, because you know and accept Jesus Christ as your savior, just as He has overcome death, you have overcome death and are granted eternal life.
What I am noticing is that some become discouraged by how things are going in their lives and fail to realize how great a gift they’ve been given. Furthermore, if you have salvation, nothing else really matters more than that. You already have the pearl of great price, and everything else that seems wrong in your life is transitory.
The good news is that Jesus has overcome the world and that through a relationship with Him, the second death, which is eternal damnation, has no power over you. Whatever happens to you in this life cannot compare to the glory that shall be revealed when you hear those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant, enter thou into my rest.”
This is what Jesus taught us, and He proved it when He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Death had no power over Him, and if we believe that He is the Christ, death has no power over us, either.
You have already won
Yes, things are not so good here on earth sometimes, and for some, they are much worse than for others. However, realize that we have already won in Jesus, and we can rest in His promise of eternal life with Him. Consequently, we don’t have to struggle and fight anymore, but can turn our attention toward doing the will of our Father in heaven. We don’t have to struggle to accumulate things, impress people, gain fame, or do any of the things people do who are still struggling to succeed in this life. We already have success in the most meaningful way possible – we have eternal life and are promised to live forever in the New Heavens and New Earth.
This means that instead of trying to be successful in this world, we can relax and do God’s will while we wait to enter into His rest. We don’t have to concern ourselves with gaining things here because everything we could possibly want or need will be given to us in the world to come. It is time to disconnect from our daily struggles and fears and realize that all we really need to do is hear our Master’s voice and say yes to whatever He wants in this current moment. God will take care of the rest.
God will do the heavy lifting
Many of us are used to fighting and struggling. Our lives have been tough, and we know little else, believing that if we don’t push and make life give us what we need, we will lose out. This is what people who do not know Jesus Christ do, but we don’t have to. We are the children of God, and as a son or daughter of the Most High, all our needs will be met as we live in His will, loving him and receiving His love.
Let’s disengage from the struggle for existence and focus, rather, on the business at hand, which is living the will of our Father. Perhaps, instead of getting up this morning and doing our own thing, why not pray and ask God what He would like us to do for Him today? Since we are already winners and have eternal life through Jesus’s sacrifice, maybe we could give our Lord our attention and time today to say thank you by doing something He needs done.
The truth is that literally nothing we have on this earth will remain, for God says through Peter:
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
2 Peter 2:3
Since we will keep nothing from this world and we have already been promised salvation, isn’t the best use of our time to focus on whatever our Father wants? We already have everything that really matters, so why not just do His will and please Him with our remaining days on earth?
It’s okay now, you can stop fighting
What I notice about some is that they forget to stop fighting when they win. They are so used to the struggle that it’s their way of life, and even when they win, they can’t stop running. I get it, I really do. However, we can allow Jesus to train us to stop focusing on what’s wrong with our lives so that we can begin to let Him live through us and help others around us overcome death, too.
In the end, if we lose our own souls, we truly lose everything. If we focus on what is wrong and never leave the rat race, though we may appear to win it in earthly terms, we can end up losing everything that really matters eternally.
Time to help others
In conclusion, realize that in Jesus you have already won everything, and sit down at His feet like Mary, listen to what He says, and rest. We don’t have to fight for anything anymore; we already have all that matters in Him. Instead, work while it is yet day and help others around you rest from their endless labors, too. Accept the gift of the Holy Spirit and taste the powers of the world to come. Live now as you will live in the New Heavens and New Earth, and be a light to others who are still struggling in this present darkness. Above all, be happy and thankful in Him, and He will give you rest.