I remember saying I would never peg my pants. Or wear capris. Or straighten my hair. Or marry someone who hunts. Or have 4 kids. Or homeschool. Oh, and I would never jump on the word-this-year bandwagon.
It turns out, I should stop saying I would never. Because all of the above proved I would.
Last January, I asked God for a word. It came instantly, and I wanted to trade it in for another. Because Victory? It didn’t mean a whole lot to me then. But I assumed God was fixing to make me a winner, which is a great way to think any day in January. 🙂
Let me back up a minute. In 2012, this verse kept crossing my path:
You give me your shield of victory and your right hand sustains me. You stoop down to make me great. Psalm 18:35
I wrote it on a card and stuck it in a drawer. It had my attention, because it kept showing up. But it didn’t seem entirely relevant to my life.
But then God went ahead and redefined victory for me. He used this verse to show me victory was GIVEN to me—not something I could achieve. Victory comes from His right hand, not mine.
Victory is simply Christ living in me. Simply, but mysteriously. It’s for me to live IS Christ.
Victory doesn’t come into our lives by TRYING, but TRUSTING.
I know all about the trying. Trying’s all on me. But trusting? Puts it all on Him. If I trust Him completely, then I can rest in Christ and receive His grace. I can let go of the notion this life will be all I make it.
It’s hard though. We are all about our effort here. Life’s about what we do and the results we make happen, even within the Kingdom of God. But Victory in Christ is like eternal life—it’s not something we can gain by trying harder. Jesus gives it freely, to any who will let go (literally, give up) and take it.
What I learned most this year? I need to get out of the way. It’s not my effort that will produce my best life now. It’s only my willingness to trust in, rest in, remain in the Lord. My willingness to die to myself and find my life hidden in Him.
My goal this year is to let go of I’ve got this and all the other mantras. To get out of the way and let Him be my strength. To trust His dreams for me are better than mine. Even if His idea of better doesn’t match my idea.
I ended the year with a couple accomplishments, but nothing more important than Christ in me, the hope of glory.
May this be the banner I raise, in 2014 and beyond…
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20
God has chosen to make known the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
