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A survey of the various definitions of victory includes the following verbs: defeat, overcome, or triumph. Not to bore you with a grammar lesson, but these are all transitive verbs, which means action verbs that they require a direct object or something that receives the action.
You can’t just say, “I defeated” without stating what or whom you defeated.
“I overcame…” But what did you overcome?
“We triumphed…” And what did you triumph over?
We long to be victorious, but the unfortunate reality is that we cannot taste victory without first having gone through the battle. Triumph is not claimed until defeat has been threatened. Victory is realized through the struggle of overcoming the thoughts that assail us.
Can you have victory without a battle? No.
But we can be victorious and joyful in the battle.
And that is the aspect of victory we will explore this week and at the Ladies’ Retreat I will be speaking at this weekend.
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Michelle and her dad[/caption]
Today is my dad’s 62nd birthday. I am proud to call him my father and my brother in Christ.
In light of this month’s theme, I would like to recognize the integrity with which he has fought many of life’s battles, humbling seeking God’s will and giving God the glory each time.
That one sentence carries so much weight and history in the personal struggles he has faced. They are his stories that I will not take too much liberty to tell. And only he knows the depth of the pain and the challenge of each battle he has faced. But no matter what the battle, he has continued to fight. He has gotten back up after facing defeat. He has not allowed that defeat to define him, but rather has sought to move forward with integrity. Integrity. That is one of the top words that first come to mind when I think of my dad.
The integrity is maintained through the battle when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus – the one who gives us hope to overcome and rise again, victorious on the other side.
So, today, March 9th, I want to wish my dad a happy birthday, a feliz cumpleaños, and thank him for being an example in my own personal cloud of witnesses that strive to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ~Hebrews 12:1-3
Is there someone’s battle and victory you identify with in Hebrews 11?