Nearly every morning I catch a glimpse of what I consider to be a stunning piece of art. It is located in one of the conference rooms in the building where I have worked for the past seven years. Almost every morning I attend a meeting there, and without fail, this piece of art grabs my attention, and my mind is directed to Scripture. It is a bronze sculpture of an American Indian warrior riding a horse. There is an intensity expressed in the posture of both man and animal, their muscles throbbing with strength. The look on the warrior’s face suggests confidence, determination, and the will to win. It is an attitude of victory.
Webster’s defines attitude as “a firmly held point of view or way of regarding something.” Attitude can also be defined as a position assumed for a specific purpose; a state or condition likely to have a certain result. As born-again believers, we firmly hold the truth in our minds concerning the accomplishments of Jesus Christ. We assume the position of victory by our believing. We maintain an attitude of victory by allowing the Word to dwell in us richly, keeping us on the winning side of this competition of life.
I Corinthians 15:57:
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
God paid a very dear price so that we could have fellowship with Him now and through all eternity. In Jesus Christ Our Passover, Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille wrote regarding Jesus Christ:
He was a man acquainted with sickness, pain, and grief. He was a man who became the lowest so that he could uphold anyone who would believe. He is a man who can save to the uttermost those who want to believe. He is our brother, who suffered and died for you and for me. He so loved us that his wounds overcame our transgressions, our external sins. His bruises overcame our iniquities and internal sins. His mental distress overcame our lack of peace and our unsound minds. His stripes overcame our physical sickness. He is a complete savior. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The ability to overcome any and every obstacle is rightfully ours as sons of God through the accomplishments of Jesus Christ. This is our firmly held point of view. Romans 8:37 says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” We can claim the promises of the Word and live with a bold and fearless mind-set, because Christ overcame all.
Ephesians 4:8:
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
The words “led captive” mean to make a prisoner of war. Anything that could captivate you or me in body, soul, or spirit, Jesus Christ led captive. We can be free from any bondage the god of this world might try to enslave us in. This is the truth we firmly hold in our minds.
“Gave gifts unto men” refers to the gift ministries, which are for building and maintaining the Body of Christ. They help us to grow and mature in the newness of life Jesus Christ made available.
When obstacles arise, we assume our position of victory by our believing. We maintain our attitude of victory and believe for deliverance.
I John 5:4:
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith [believing].
There’s the promise! Our believing overcomes the world. To believe is a verb that connotes action. Taking action on the Word of God is key to our attitude of victory.
In Romans there is a wonderful section of scripture that shows us how to handle life’s challenges with the Word.
Romans 5:3 and 4:
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope.
The word “glory” in verse 3 means to rejoice or boast. The Greek word for “tribulation” is thlipsis and means pressure, distress. One dictionary definition of “distress” is anguish of body or mind. We can rejoice in the midst of pressure because we know that Jesus Christ already overcame these challenges. We are already in the winner’s circle, and by believing we claim the victory.
“Tribulation worketh patience [endurance]….” The result of handling pressure is endurance. The endurance we build helps keep us champions. “…And patience, experience….” The word “experience” is the Greek word dokimē, which means proof. When we believe the Word of God and apply it in our lives, we receive results. We have proof that the Word works. “…And experience, hope.” Hope is expectation of something good in the future.
I trained in theater arts for many years in dance, voice, and acting. It came time for me to put my training to the test and go out and get a job. The process of getting a job in theater is by audition. Depending on the show, I might be asked to learn choreography and then perform it on the spot, to sing my best eight measures of a song, to read from a portion of the script, or to do all three. I could be competing with anywhere from twenty to one hundred people for this job. So there I was. This was the moment I had been waiting for, ready to embark on my professional career as a performer. I danced with all my might, sang my heart out, and mustered up as much emotion as possible in reading the script. I was dismissed with a cold “thank you very much.”
I refused to quit. I brushed myself off and got right back into my classes and continued to train so that I would be stronger and more equipped for the next audition. I did it because I loved it. I learned to endure the pressure of getting up in front of strangers to perform with all that I had, regardless of the response. I loved the work and was determined that I would land a job as a performer, and I did.
In order to build endurance in the Word of God, we must take believing action on the Word we’ve been taught. Pressures do not stop us. We go to the Word daily to build our strength and manifest all that God has made available through Jesus Christ. Champions don’t quit. We rejoice, knowing that God provides for us, and we expect something good to be the result of our believing….
This is an excerpt from the March/April 2003 issue of The Way Magazine.
Copyright© 2003 by The Way International. All rights reserved.
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