We are more than conquerors through Christ

Published 6:39 pm Thursday, August 29, 2019

By BILLY HOLLAND

Living on Purpose

We acknowledge God’s blessings in our own life, as well as those around us. Of course, we have our share of problems and struggles, but for the most part, the Lord has provided for our basic needs, and to be honest, he has also given us a lot of luxuries. Our seasons of difficulty might be with a relationship, financial hardships, issues with our health, the loss of a loved one or the occasional internal suffering associated with a painful emotion called rejection.

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In the hard times, we are tempted to deny the situation or hide from the agony, to which we all know is like putting a band-aid on a broken arm. Discouragement and depression are real and unfortunately, a lot of people live with a smile on the outside, but are crying on the inside. There are several keys that can help us overcome feelings of being ostracized and one of them is instead of asking God to change everyone’s view of us, we can ask him to allow us to see ourself the way he sees us.

Researching the big-picture of our situation and analyzing every detail will allow us to trace the cause, and discover a deeper understanding about why we feel the way we do. When we comprehend how our personal trigger mechanisms and response buttons operate — this is a huge step toward realizing that the way we think dictates our contentment and confidence.

Sometimes our rejection is associated with our gifts and talents, and how we believe that no one cares about what we enjoy. When it comes to our spiritual well-being, an important key to consider is that whatever we do for God, it’s wise to be sure that God told us to do it. It’s much better to listen and follow God’s directions, than to do something on our own and ask him to bless it.

The idea of patience is to prevent putting the cart before the horse. It’s easy to forget that obedience is up to us, but the results of our labors are up to him, and are solely based on his intentions. If we really believe this, we would never be upset, because we would know that everything is being accomplished according to his will. If we are dissatisfied with the results, then we are probably focusing on our own projections and expectations instead of trusting that God is guiding our life with his divine sovereignty.

For example, by the mercy of God, when we are allowed to create something and it’s used to help encourage one person, then maybe that was God’s original objective. In this light, just because we are not world-famous, or making millions, does not mean we have failed to be a success in God’s view. Being popular with the world has nothing to do with how much God loves you and is pleased with you.

Sometimes our misery is caused when we assume something is one way when it’s actually something else. It’s not always true that others do not like us or respect us. It might seem like it, but most of the time it’s simply that others do not have an interest in what we are interested in. Humans are very diverse, and in the same way we are probably not excited about dressing up like a clown, this is the same attitude people have about what we enjoy.

To be honest, people are just more focused on their own life than what we are doing. Do not take it personally, or be offended when your friends at work, church, social media or even your family are not excited about your dreams. If you are being haunted by rejection, I want to encourage you today to seek God’s promises about how precious you are and write them on the tables of your heart. Remember that Jesus also faced severe rejection, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” John 1:11. Keep your focus on Christ and he will help dissolve the unhappiness, hopelessness, and discouragement in your life. Lay your visions and talents at the feet of the one who made you and depend on his plans as we have this promise in James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Ask for a free copy of the scripture CD, “keeper of my Soul” and learn about Billy’s brand-new book, “Convictions and considerations – Encouragement for the Soul” at billyhollandministries.com.