THE RACE FOR THE CROWN (PART 5 OF 6)

31st JANUARY 2023

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Our response to suffering matters. Unless we accept God’s grace to deal with suffering, inevitably, we will become bitter and tend to blame others for our calamities. There is no doubt that somebody may have caused us to suffer, but that is beside the point at the moment. For now, what matters is God’s purpose for us! Therefore, if we choose to trust God to bring about His purpose through suffering, then we can avoid the trap of bitterness and suspicion and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. (Ref: 2 Corinthians 5:7, Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:14–15, and 2 Peter 3:18.). For Paul, suffering in the life of a believer is an opportunity to grow spiritually.

Paul says concerning himself that he would glory in his infirmities so that the power of Christ would rest upon him. (Ref: 2 Corinthians 12:9.) Therefore, like Paul, we must choose to trust God and accept the grace He gives to us so that Christ’s character will be formed in us.

How do we react to situations of suffering? Rather than blame others for our woes, God expects us to employ the right attitude to speed up our assimilation into Christhood. When suffering sets in, we should be seen doing the following:

1.  Be grateful for the opportunity to learn. So, rather than blame others for our woes, we give thanks to God in return (I Thessalonians 5:18)

2.         Learn the lessons of the moment. Ask the question, ‘why did God allow this trial to occur in my life? If we do not get it right at that point, we may not get out of the bad situation at a good time. Or better still, the suffering might keep repeating itself or get unnecessarily prolonged! Nevertheless, we must continue to have faith in God, however bad the situation may seem.

3.  Constantly pray yourself out of the problem, declaring the word of God and putting your faith in God (Matthew 4:4; Ephesians 6:17)

Whatever you are going through this moment, be assured that God is faithful, and His mercy endures forever. Simply practice the above steps, and you will be glad you did.

 PRAYER

 Father in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for this infirmity and travails; I ask for thy grace to overcome the vicissitudes confronting me. Father, I know that you have permitted this trial to occur. Therefore, I purge myself of all moral weaknesses, and I declare that the power of the Holy Spirit sanctifies me. I bear no grudge against anyone. I freely forgive all those who wronged me. Therefore, I am free from every bondage of ill health, emotional trauma and psychological prison. From this moment onward, I overcome every inner and outer void standing between me and fulfil your plan and purpose. I am victorious, and I remain a conqueror. Thank you, father, for giving me a new life. AMEN.

FURTHER READING:  Romans 5:3–5; Hebrews 5:8; Matthew 19:21.