Just recently, my husband and I watched “The Last Dance”, a docuseries on Netflix about the life and career of Michael Jordan. In one of the episodes, we learned that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls went up against the Detroit Pistons in the 1990 Eastern Conference finals and lost in the 7th and final game. The Pistons just so happened to be the Bull’s greatest rivals. Losing to the Pistons, for the Bulls, was devastating. Part of their loss that year was attributed to one of their key players, Scottie Pippen, having a migraine at the start of the game that blurred his vision and crippled his ability to play. Being completely dominated in the Eastern Conference Finals three years straight, Michael Jordan and the Bulls were determined to advance to a position of victory over the Pistons. Instead of going on vacation after that 1990 season, the entire team decided they would spend the summer building muscle and working hard to improving their game, not only to compete with the Pistons, but to champion over them. They refused to go another season defeated by their rival. This mental shift established the Bulls’ identity. They knew who they were coming out of the locker room in game 1 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons and left that series in 4-0 victory sweep. Mental toughness, physical strength and unshakable determination not only led the Bulls to victory over the Pistons in 1991 but also named them world champions that year. The Chicago Bulls matured as a team which brought victorious and reigning champion results. This begged the question that I had to answer for myself, do I have what it takes to be victorious?
Many times, as believers, we can get caught up in the things of life that don’t pan out according to our desires. We didn’t get a job we planned for. We didn’t get married when we thought we would. We don’t have the degree in the time we thought we should and many other life scenarios that just don’t go according to our plan. We can even experience a loss in one or multiple areas of our lives that bring a sense of defeat and despair. The enemy plays his role in creating agitations that lead to frustrations and can often distract from us seeing and living out our purpose in Christ. In essence, he can do a pretty good job at attempting to taking us off our game. But if you’re anything like me, at some point along your Christian journey, you have a sense of awakening, just like the Chicago Bulls did after their Eastern Conference defeat in 1990. You decide that you will no longer tolerate losing to the devil and you develop a determination to win and be victorious. Thankfully, you’re not alone my friend! The body of Christ is your team and it’s important to know that we’re in this together.
Ephesians 4:11-13 speaks of us being mature believers and reaching a fullness in Christ as one when it states “11 And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], 12 [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; 13 until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]”. The body of Christ is blessed to have five assistant coaches on the court, under the leadership of Christ as the head coach, to equip and perfect us saints so that we can mature in Christ and stand victorious over the devil. Each assistant coach plays a vital role in our spiritual growth and maturity by serving as special messengers of Christ, speaking messages from God to us, spreading the good news of salvation while also guiding and instructing us along the way. These are key resources for building the muscle we need to stand victorious and not be easily knocked down by the enemy.
We are also given God’s written word, the Bible. This is where our mental toughness comes from. James 1:21 tells us to “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls”. Our souls are defined as our mind, will and emotions. Taking in the engrafted word of God, renews our minds and keeps our will and emotions intact. The Bulls didn’t get to a winning position over the Pistons by allowing their mind to be scattered all over the place and expressing various degrees of emotions over wrong referee calls. They maintained their focus to win the game and to accomplish the mission at hand. Taking in the engrafted word also ensures that we are not following anything going any which way the wind blows. Ephesians 4:14 tells us “so that we are no longer children (spiritually immature), tossed back and forth (like ships on a stormy sea) and carried about by every wind of (shifting) doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of (unscrupulous) men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything (for personal profit).” Just as the Bulls didn’t follow the direction of the fans, spectators, commentators or journalist, whose doctrine for the game were fancy, fickle and funny, we too must stay focused. We must hold fast to the truth! And that truth is found only in God’s word. We must hold fast to fact that Jesus Christ is our only way to a reconciled relationship to God and our way into heaven, the Christian’s world championship victory. Taking in God’s word daily and spending time with Him to gain an understanding of His word, will build the mental toughness we need to defeat our enemy when he comes to rival us. We must be careful of who and what we listen to as to not fall susceptible to the cunning and trickery of men and deceitful scheming of people. For falling susceptible to these things can often cause migraines, blurring our vision and crippling our ability to stand strong against the wiles of the devil.
Finally, we must have an unshakable determination in our faith to be victorious. Tenacity, boldness, focus and faithful are a few characteristics that come to mind when I think of unshakable determination. 1 Corinthians 15:58 tell us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord”. Being victorious is a matter of “want to”. You have to want to win! You have to want to defeat the enemy! You have to want it so bad that by any means necessary will you get it! Being steadfast in God’s word, immovable in your faith and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Be bold for Christ! Remain faithful to His word, remain faithful to your relationship with Him and do not grow weary in well doing! Focus on the mission at hand… press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ, per Philippians 3:14. Be diligent in your growth as a Christian. It’s not easy and it requires time and dedication to God and His word. But if you are determined in this way, nothing can shake you from it.
Thanks to the finished work of the cross and the blood Christ shed for the redemption of our sins, we now have what it takes to be victorious! Because of Jesus, we are already victorious. Through Him, we have everything we need to be fully equipped, strengthen, encouraged, and are surrounded by a team of like-minded people who are pushing for the same goal, and that is to maintain our VICTORY in Jesus’ name! In Him, we do have what it takes to be reigning champions over the enemy and to live our lives victoriously… you just have to want to! And I pray you do.
May God bless you and keep you as you continue to hear His Voice.
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