January 5 - Who's the winner? (1/5/13)

January 5 - Who's the winner?

I watched an amazing football game last night. It had been advertised and "hyped" in the paper and television. Parts of it were amazing. There was lots of cheering and emotion on both sides. But when the final seconds ticked away, there was a winner. The winner was thrilled; the loser dismayed. Just like in life, the score reflected a victory for one of the teams. Today in "Jesus Calling" I read about a different kind of victory: the victorious life. Last night, the team that made the fewest number of mistakes were the winners. But in achieving the victorious life, you must make mistakes in order to win. That fact seems counterintuitive and somehow just wrong. However, we must remember that God doesn't measure the way the world does. When we make mistakes, it points to our own neediness and inability to be perfect.

Today I am not setting out in my day to "mess up" and fail. My goal today is to be good, Christ-like, sin-free and perfect. What are the chances I will succeed? Zero…nada…no way. When I fail, as I most certainly will, I look to the one who can forgive me. I live in dependence on Him not in perfection (and for that I am glad).

Just like the 10 Commandments were not set up by God so that we could keep them. No, God gave them so we would have a set of goals to attempt, a measure of perfection that we couldn't possibly achieve. Hooray! We are not losers because we are losers and are already forgiven. Living in dependence on God's forgiveness is true perfection. The more we fail the more we grow. Unlike the football team who achieved a victory last night that lasts for a day, a year or someone's record book, we can achieve the victorious life. The best way to live after all!

"The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves this who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

"The victory is ours…with God we will gain the victory." Psalm 60:12

Pray: Father, today let us live the victorious life in Your blessed forgiveness. Help us to look to You for the joy in the victory! Amen