Winning Mindset

Romans 8:37 – “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
     As I watch coverage of the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro I can’t help but live vicariously through the fighting instinct exhibited by the competitors. Although the field may have many standing at the starting line, only the top three will win medals. They are the true conquerors. To get to the medal award stage they had to conquer many trials; grueling practices, unrelenting injuries; inadequate sleep, and isolation from family and friends. But they did these sacrifices for the greater joy of the conquest. No matter how formidable the obstacles they had to separate fact from reality.
     We are all too often guilty of giving into what seems like hopeless situations because they seem so insurmountable. It is during these times that God wants us to ‘divide and conquer”. Divide the truth from the facts and realize that everything is not always as it seems.
      The facts state that the Hebrew boys were thrown into a fire that was stoked so hot that the soldiers commanded to put them in were consumed by the flames. The truth is that they walked around in the furnace unhurt and when they exited they did not even smell like smoke. The facts state that the walls of Jericho were impenetrable; the truth is that with simple shouts the stones crumbled to the ground. The facts state that the military-trained soldier Goliath was almost 9 feet tall; the truth is that the shepherd boy David knocked him off of his “A” game with a simple slingshot and a smooth stone.
    We should look at our lives as a series of opportunities to be conquerors. Troublesome events are nothing more than options for flexing our spiritual muscles and taking control of the situations. Jesus has already paid the price; we just need to go in and seal the deal. Don’t give into your fears or back down from what appears to be a stronghold… muster up your courage to give it the ‘1-2’ punch! We are conquerors.
    Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a power-packed GREAT day! Don’t be distracted; stay focused on your purpose! Be blessed! Dr. JoAnn