Overwhelmed or an Overcomer?

This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 

 Who is it that overcomes the world? 

Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

(1 John 5:4-5 NIV)

When we feel overwhelmed, we need to remember we are an overcomer.  When we made Jesus the Lord of our life, we became new creations in Christ, the Holy Spirit now resides in us and by faith we became children of God. This same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead now resides in us, is there any battle that we can fight that we wouldn't be victorious in?  If God would give His only Son as a perfect and blameless sacrifice, is there really any situation we could not endure? Jesus said it best himself... 

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

(John 16:33 NLT)

There are times when I look at my children and my heart feels like it could burst from the amount of love I have for them, and yet it's nothing compared to God's love for His children.  There's this amazing love that God has for us, that I can't even begin to imagine. I'm in so much awe of His love for me, one of a few billion people on this earth and yet the Creator of the Universe knows my name, He knows everything about me, He knows my thoughts, and He still loves me.  What I think of love cannot even be compared to God's love for us - I mean God IS love, He created it, He knows it and He doesn't withhold it.  

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son

into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

This is real love - not that we loved God,

but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

(1 John 4:9-10 NLT)

So this amazing, loving God - that sent His Son to take away my sins - He didn't do all this for me to be overwhelmed by life's challenges, to live in despair, or live fearfully.  No this awesome God, full of compassion, mercy and grace gave me everything I need to live as an overcomer: a life where battles may be fought, but the victory will always be mine, because I'm an overcomer!

 Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; 

do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. 

I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; 

yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

                                         (Isaiah 41:10 Amplified) 

Don't Drift Away

I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety. (Psalm 16:8-9 NLT)

It seems my walk with God can be described as the ocean waves rolling onto the shore, there are ebbs and there are wanes but no matter the storms or calmness of the ocean, the waves always return to the shore - our rock and our God.  Sometimes we drift away from the shoreline, forgetting who we are and whose we are; then sometimes we crash upon the shore grasping, searching, thirsting for more of God.

We need to remember that no matter how we feel ~ God isn’t limited by our feelings. When we are distant and feel alone; God is in our presence. When we feel fearful and afraid; God is our fortress.  When we feel sad and brokenhearted; God is our peace. We live in these human bodies that are imperfect with their fleshly and emotional desires, but the Holy Spirit living within us is perfect and a reflection of God. With this in mind we need to yield to the spirit and reject the flesh.  Jesus warned his disciples while he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Now maybe you’re learning: the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Watch and pray and take care that you are not pulled down during a time of testing.” (Matthew 26:41 Voice)

As we go through the ups and downs of this life, we must learn to accept our weakness by acknowledging that we can’t do this life on our own, we need God, we need Jesus.  Once we’ve made Jesus the Lord of our life, He becomes our oxygen, there is no life without Him; the further away we drift, the weaker we become. But the closer we draw near to Him, there is nothing we can not overcome or accomplish.

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. (Philippians 4:13 AMP)