Devotion #1: Are You Victorious?

Victory is a word that sits well with most people, especially when they have the opportunity to achieve it. The concept of winning can often be associated with victory. In our culture today, winning can mean being the best at something or being financially set in life with material things. 

It can be so easy to assume that others are in a winning state of life with what we see or hear about them. As we drive around, we might pass by absolutely beautiful and enormous houses or see stellar cars that cost a fortune to own. We might see people posting about their family’s accomplishments, unbelievable lifestyles, or their amazing vacations to countries we have always longed to visit. Sometimes, seeing and hearing about all these measures and experiences that another person has attained can be frustrating or saddening when we look at our own lives in comparison. That can be especially true when we do not consider ourselves to be in a state of victory, but rather, in a state of immense defeat or loss. 

It is easy to get caught up in comparisons and to be envious of others’ accomplishments or lifestyles. That type of thinking is just in our human nature. Thinking about this can even be habitual for some of us. No matter what, there will always be someone in the world who has more material things or has experienced more than we have. 

Let us be honest, though. Why would we not strive to be as comfortable and happy as possible by focusing on the things we own and the places we go? Why not focus on what we do not have until we finally achieve it? Surely, happiness and victory come from earthly measures and experiences, right? Well, yes, if you are stuck in an earthly state of mind. 

Although having and achieving all these things could be considered a winning life in the earthly sense, it is easy to forget that we are winning in life in a different, yet far more important way. It is one that ensures our victory beyond comparison. 

In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul refers to the victory we have through Christ. This victory is not achieved from material things or from experiences. In Romans 8:28, he states, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

Our God is a provider who never stops working. He loves and has a plan for those that He created. When we love Him and put our faith and hope in Him, He is faithful to provide for His children, and will never forsake or abandon them. However, God does not guarantee a perfect life, and He does not guarantee an easy life. That does not mean He intends to lead us to suffering. 

As Paul stated in the verse above, God works for good, and that is according to His will and plan. That will never change so long as our love for and faith in Him does not change. 

As believers, we have to trust that, though the path might not always be clear or easy, He is with us every single step of the way. When our God is by our side, fighting alongside us, and leading us, we stand in a place of victory that cannot be destroyed. 

Many times, the following verse has served as a great reminder to me of God’s hand in my life, no matter the season I have found myself in. James 1:17 states, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” 

He is with us and for us no matter the circumstance, and it is not shameful to need to be reminded of that as we journey throughout life. It is all the same whether we are in the middle of the sea surrounded by a raging storm or standing on top of a mountain.