Have you ever felt like you can never win? Have you ever wondered why victory is so elusive? Have you ever thought about giving up in the search for victory because it seems like it was only meant for someone else?
You Are Normal
Well, if you can answer “Yes” to any of these questions, then you are normal. In fact, at one time or another, I believe all of us have felt this way to some degree. Feeling like victory is elusive is certainly nothing new.
That being the case, I want to give you some of the reasons that this is true. We have been discussing these reasons over the past week or so, but I want you to see them all tied together so you get the big picture.
5 Reasons For Elusive Victory
Take a look at these most common reasons for the lack of victory most of us experience. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!
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1. We do not define victory correctly.
- Jesus defined victory for us when he gave us the Greatest Commandment. If we will submit our lives to the sole purpose of loving God with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, then we will see victory as it is meant to be.
As long as we continue to seek victory as the world defines, it will remain elusive and fleeting. When we achieve it, we will find it to be empty and void of meaning.
2. We do not go “All in” for victory with God.
- Jesus said God wants our ALL – in fact He has already paid for it! Anything less is really theft. When we hold back and give God left-overs, we will not get much more than a glimpse of victory.
If, on the other hand, well sell out for our relationship with Him and ignore the world’s opinion, we will live in victory. It is that simple.
3. We do not expect victory.
- David went into battle expecting God to grant him victory. He knew God had delivered him before and there was no doubt in David’s mind He would do it again. We must have the same confidence – that when we are looking at a situation from God’s eyes, we can expect victory to follow.
4. We do not recognize victory when it happens.
- Like David, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego expected victory as they are being thrown into the furnace. They also recognized that God may see victory differently in that situation than they did. Either way, they accepted His will (Daniel 3:1-30).
We don’t often recognize victory when it happens because we forget it is about God and His glory, not ours. If we can maintain His perspective in this, we will see the victory even when the world does not. The cross may be the perfect example of this. What looked like tragedy was actually the ultimate victory.
5. We do not view victory in the correct time frame.
- If my kids plant pumpkin seeds in a jar tonight and wake up tomorrow morning, rushing to see how much they grew, they will surely be disappointed. We would probably chuckle at how silly they look in this picture, but we turn right around and have similar expectations in our own lives.
God is interested in our conforming to the likeness of Christ much more than He is in the timing of our goals. He is willing to work in our lives over many years to accomplish His will. His perspective is not limited by time, but is eternal. We think we have failed if we work on something for six months without our desired results. Who is silly now?!?
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Reverse These Mistakes
When you take a look at the common mistakes we make in regard to seeking victory in our lives, it becomes easier to see why it seems so elusive. I believe that we simply need to reverse each of these common mistakes and we will experience victory like never before.
Friday will be the last post in this series. In that post, I will give you three options for seeking victory in this life – and tell you which is most likely to succeed!
Which mistake do you make most often?
Do you see how to correct your thinking?
What mistakes did I leave off of the list?
