Jesus said: ‘Count yourselves blessed every time people put you down…or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do!’ (Matthew 5:11-12 MSG). If you’re thin skinned, you’ll have a rough time in life because you’ll be an easy target for the devil. Paul endured desertion by his friends, ugly letters from the Corinthians, disappointment with the Galatians, mistreatment in Philippi, mocking in Athens, and finally imprisonment and beheading in Rome. The Bible gives us these four principles for victorious living: 1) Be on the alert. We have an adversary who is out to stop us (see 1 Peter 5:8). He’s going after the God-given potential he knows lies within us. We’re seeds capable of producing a harvest of blessing. 2) Stand firm in the faith. We can’t stand on our feelings, our circumstances, or the opinions of others. Those things change constantly, so we must stand firm on the Word of God, which doesn’t change. 3) Act like an adult. Being childish won’t cut it when the battle is raging. It’s time to grow up; if we’re still making the same mistakes twenty-five years later, we’re not learning enough. 4) Be strong. Weakness is an invitation to the Enemy. It always comes before surrender – and giving up is not an option for us. God told His people the promised land was theirs – but they would have to fight for it. And we will too!
