Overcome by Roger Shouse (Edited)

“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne.”
— Revelation 3:21

These words were written to the church at Laodicea. They had become lukewarm and comfortable. They thought they were doing fine, but the Lord saw things differently.

Still, God had not given up on them. He told them to overcome.

To overcome does not mean avoiding every problem. It means going through something difficult and not allowing it to defeat you.

Jesus overcame temptation. He overcame the desire to walk away from the cross. And He overcame death itself.

We are called to overcome too.

Sometimes we need to overcome spiritual apathy. We can become comfortable and simply go through the motions. Instead, we should come to worship ready to pray, learn, encourage others, and honor God.

We also need to overcome the pressure to live like everyone else. As Christians, we are called to live differently and let the Lord guide our choices.

And sometimes we need to overcome complaining, bitterness, and negativity. It is easy to focus on what is wrong, but God has given us many reasons to be thankful.

Whatever you are facing, do not let it defeat you.

Keep walking by faith.
Keep doing what you know is right.
Keep trusting the Lord.

Overcome.

This article has been edited and shortened from “Overcome” by Roger Shouse, originally published by Fisher’s Church of Christ. Read the original article [here].