Positioned To Win
Despite where you are at this moment, you are EXACTLY where God wants you to be! Despite where you are in your current season, God has you in the perfect position to win.
Adversity is often viewed as a series of unfortunate events, but we have to learn that God has the ability to use these same circumstances to advance us! Our obstacles are proof that we are on the brink of a victory.
The enemy knows that you possess a valuable gift or you wouldn’t be under attack the way that you are. The last time I checked, a robber wouldn’t target an abandoned house for a robbery. They typically look for homes that possess valuable items.
Recently I was the topic and target of an attack on the Internet. To quote the response of a work colleague who read this content, “She tried it!”
Her response made me think of what Isaiah 54:17 tells us. The Easy To Read Version of this scripture captures it this way, “People will make weapons to fight against you, but their weapons will not defeat you. Some people will say things against you, but anyone who speaks against you will be proved wrong.”
Although this verbal attack slightly agitated my spirit, I realized that it wouldn’t alter what God called me to do or his opinion of me. We have to remember that we are EXACTLY who God says we are! People will attack your character when they can’t impact your purpose!
The enemy works strategically, and understands that we each have an unchanged purpose that’s uniquely assigned to us by God. So if the enemy can’t change your purpose, they will attack something that’s valuable to you. This is the reason we should view our adversity and attacks as evidence that we are in the perfect position to win. The enemy realizes your potential and believes in you more than you think.
Alter Your Perspective
Winning always starts with the right perspective! The word perspective can be defined as a particular attitude towards something or an individual’s point of view.
It’s difficult to win with a losing perspective or a negative point of view. We have to realize that our pressure will eventually produce prosperity. This is the reason Peter tells us to be pleased about the trials we face. The New Living Translation of 1 Peter 1:6 states the following, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.”
Our adverse circumstances often make us emphasize “many trials” and minimize the part that says a “little while”. We have to learn to shift our perspective and view things the opposite way. Trials are inevitable, but so is your victory!
Protect Your Perspective
One of the things that influences our outlook is criticism or being criticized. The word criticism can be described as the disapproval of something or someone based on perceived faults or mistakes. Even as a man or woman of God, NONE of us are exempt from criticism. They even talked about Jesus negatively in the Bible.
The New Living Translation of Mark 3:22-27 describes it this way, “...the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.”
The thirtieth verse of this scripture adds, “He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
People often misinterpret or criticize someone that they don’t understand. That’s the reason our perspective shouldn’t be altered by another person’s opinion. Most people aren’t even in a position to criticize or disapprove of you.
As The Message Translation of Matthew 7:3 states, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.”
Some people will spend more time highlighting your perceived flaws than addressing their own. The enemy often envies who you are and where you are headed.
This is the reason that I mentioned that the enemy’s attack is evidence that they believe in you! Anyone who is attempting to take you out already knows what you’re destined for.
Despite their criticism, you are still chosen by the greatest God in the world. You were assigned a purpose before anyone had an opinion about you, and no one’s perception of you will alter or change his plan for your life!
Positioned For Power
We have to learn that winning often starts in the wilderness. One definition of the word, wilderness describes it as a position of disfavor. This may lead one to ask, “How am I in a position to win when God placed me in a position of disfavor?”
When God placed Jesus in the same position, he returned with POWER! The Message Translation of Luke 4:1-2 captures his trip to the wilderness this way,
“Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.”
The thirteenth and fourteenth verses describe his departure from the wilderness:
“That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity. Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit.”
Despite being tested, Jesus remained faithful to God’s word and passed every test. Although he was placed in a position of disfavor, his faith kept him in a position to win. His patience eventually lead to him leaving the wilderness with power!
God has the same thing planned for us! We have to realize that every test or trial that you face will eventually produce a testimony! There’s a purpose attached to every process that you’re going through.
The New Living Translation of John 14:18 tells us the following: “No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”
God didn’t send you into the wilderness to leave you stranded. He has a plan to bring you back stronger than you were before!
Winning Posture
We can’t let our pressures adjust our posture! The opposition that we face is inevitable, but it’s not permanent. As Peter tells us, we are going to endure many trials but only for a little while.
As I entered a season of elevation, I realized that there are layovers along the way. Similar to Jesus, I found myself in the wilderness before reaching my desired destination. During my time in the wilderness, I’ve had to endure many tests.
I’ve dealt with countless financial hardships, constant fatigue while being the focal point of an attack on the World Wide Web. My frustration shifted my focus towards every trial in front of me, but my faith reminded me that these struggles would only last for a little while.
We can’t let temporary trials keep us discouraged or distracted from the prosperity that God promised us!
I could’ve allowed the verbal slander directed towards me to affect my posture, but it didn’t make sense to go back to a level that I graduated from. Graduate students don’t entertain high school gossip. Why would I allow someone writing without a relevant purpose to distract me from mine? There’s no need to enter the Shade Room when God has a bright future ahead of me!
Despite facing financial hardships, God still supplied every one of my needs. Despite feeling fatigued, God provides me the strength and resources that I need to effectively balance work, entrepreneurship and ministry.
Our faith is built through the trials that we encounter. Similar to a body builder, our strength comes from lifting heavy weight! In this context, heavy testing and trials produce disciples with strong faith.
As The Message Translation of 1 John 4:4 states, “...you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.”
When you have an undefeated God within you, you’ll always be in the PERFECT position to win!
