FIGHTING A GOOD FIGHT
Pr. James Victor Lubwama
Day 5 – BOOST YOUR PERSEVERANCE
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
“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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
To run the race and finish the course you must be mindful of the following so as to run swiftly;
1) Cast your burdens
Heaviness is one of the things that prevent believers from finishing their race. When you are running and carrying a heavy load as well on your head or back, you will easily get weary and won’t finish the race. If you have ever run in school or professionally, you already know that athletes put on very light gear from shoes to vests and pants. Why? So that they can run without being held back by any weight whatsoever; so similarly, you need to put down the heavy burdens so that you can persevere and run the race swiftly - the lighter the runner, the swifter he or she is, and the same is true in the Christian life.
How do you run swiftly in Salvation? Let go off the burdens and offload them at Jesus’ feet. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) that; “Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
A yoke is wooden piece of wood fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to a plough so that they can walk together. To run the race and finish, you have got to move with and not behind or after Jesus; remember we are coworkers with him. If you want to run swiftly, get rid of heavy loads and move with Jesus - many times we carry what we can’t support; we try to fix the unfixable and end up being engulfed in worry – for worry doesn’t work for you but works on you and slows you down. Cast your burdens, worries, problems and impossibilities unto Jesus because he cares and can deal with them. The bible affirms in Psalms 55:22 (NLT) that; “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
2) Don’t walk alone
In the Salvation journey, you need to hold onto someone as you walk. On a long journey if one is tired, the other will provide support. But when you walk alone, you tire easily and will not be able to finish the race. Do not walk alone but have a partners of like faith, beliefs and values. As Christians, we must seek God daily in his word and prayer, but we must also seek fellowship among other believers and be encouraged and edified in our Salvation journey. The bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (TLB) that; “Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better, 10 If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble.”
In spiritual warfare, fighting along someone has a great impact. The bible says in Leviticus 26:7-8 (GNT) that; “You will be victorious over your enemies; 8 five of you will be able to defeat a hundred, and a hundred will be able to defeat ten thousand.” From the scripture we can see that hundred men defeat ten times more men than what five people can defeat; that is why we get out of our comfort zone on Friday nights and come as shield bearers to combat the enemy. Lone fights always end in defeat; you need those of like faith and belief in this Salvation journey if you are to combat the enemy and win.
3) Service your spiritual life
Just like machines and automobiles, our spiritual life too needs servicing as well - the old ways of life and habits are removed and replaced with godly ways and thinking. The church is our service bay; we are serviced whenever we go for fellowship because we get to hear and learn the word of God that pushes, edifies, encourages and empowers us to move steadily as our faith is lifted and hope rises.
If you want to live a purposeful victorious life, you need the word that proceeds from the mouth of God because it is spirit and life; you need it as well to overcome challenges, obstacles and the devil because it is fire and a double-edged sword. Church is not just a gathering place to share our experiences but a place where we receive counseling and guidance; it is God’s sanctuary where we get to hear words that are full of life, we get to learn the revelation behind the word and mysteries of God. It’s not just reading the bible that changes you but the revelation behind that word. The bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV) that; “…..For the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.” Whenever you remain in constant fellowship with Holy Spirit, the devil will see you from afar and flee, so ensure that your spiritual life is serviced for you to be able to finish the race.
4) Keep the faith
Keeping the faith is two-folded. The prophet Jehoshaphat said in 2 Chronicles 20:20 (NIV) that; “….Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” You need to have faith in both God and his servants; believe the Lord your God and your spiritual parent – pastor and you will succeed. Do not entertain negative words against your pastors, have their back and defend them. We have to be able to explain and defend what we believe in to those who are ignorant or misinformed. 1 Peter 3:15 (NASB) says; “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” 
Satan uses people to talk negatively about God, the church and his servants so as to kill our faith. He knows that once you are without a spiritual parent, you a stray soul which can easily be attacked; the bible warns us Mathew 26:31 (MSG) that; “I´ll strike the shepherd; helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.” Guard your faith in God, his word and servants, and by doing so you will overcome because without faith, you can’t overcome.
May God give you the strength to fight a good fight and finish the race!

Comments

  1. Unknown26 March 2018 at 17:01

    THIS IS SO ENREACHING..MAY GOD GRANT YOU WITH MORE WISDOM TO HELP US

    ReplyDelete

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