My parents have been in the Word since before I was born. They coordinated a bible fellowship in our home for the better portion of my life. They raised me with the belief that whatever happens, God’s gonna take care of you.
About nine years ago when I was a sophomore in High School, my mom began to get sick. She went to several doctors for advice who all told her something different, some of which diagnosed her with Multiple Sclerosis, a terminal and incurable disease. We spent about a year not being sure what was wrong with her. Being sick is one thing, but being sick and not knowing what is wrong with you is another.
Eventually we found out her sickness was a combination of two things: An incurable condition called
fibromyalgia that causes your muscles to tense and spasm, and a chip in her lower spine. The fibromyalgia caused her to tire easily, to have intense pain, slurred speech, and blurred and doubled vision. Operating on the chip on her spine would probably kill her so it couldn't be fixed either and because of it she couldn’t stand up, sit down, or lay down for a long period of time.
She had to quit her job as a nurse. Having to quit working was almost worse than the disease. She loved nursing with a passion, and because Mom’s job was our family’s primary source of income, our family had to move from our middle-class neighborhood into the "not-so-good" part of town. The doctor’s bills quickly drained our savings. My dad had to work constantly with his job as a printing salesman just to scrape by. This went on for several years, and the emotional toll on our family, especially my parents, was awful.
1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
…the victory that overcometh the world – Greek:
nike nikeo kosmos – Literally translated “the victory that’s victorious over all the universe”
As born again sons and daughters of God, our faith, or believing in God makes us victorious over and above the world. It’s not just that we
will be victorious, or even simply that we
can be, but we
already are!
1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
When we rely on God, it isn’t just that the affliction stops. It’s not just that things go back to normal. When we rely on God, he causes us
victory over our affliction.
One day my parents attended a three day Limb meeting in Tampa, Florida. (For those of you who don't know, a Limb meeting is what our ministry calls it when all the churches in that state get together for a big ol' meeting.) When they arrived at the hotel they were staying at, Mom was in pain from the long car ride because, as you'll recall, she can't sit for long periods of time. To walk up the sixteen stairs to their hotel room seemed an impossible feat. She broke down in tears at the foot of the stairs, and cried for about an hour. She then decided that being sick was no longer an option and for the first time believed without a doubt that God would heal her. By the end of the three days she was completely healed. As she puts it, she just got tired of feeling bad and was ready to believe she could be healed.
On top of all this, on the side my dad has a company that sells information about baseball players to sports announcers. This has always been more of a hobby than any means of income. But today, his company does so well that my parents make about twice as much as they did when Mom was working. Today my parents live in a beautiful house two blocks from the beach. My mom never went back to work – Not because she was physically unable to, but because they now travel all over the country in an RV visiting baseball stadiums. Now
that is Victory over Affliction!
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
In the world we have tribulation, but Jesus Christ overcame,
nikeo, is victorious over, the world. Because we have God in Christ in Us, that means
we are victorious over the world!
This is the reality we live in today. We aren’t victims of this world. You as a Son of God, whether you acknowledge it or choose to benefit from it, are not a victim of this world. Whatever affliction it tries to lay on you be it physical, mental, social or financial, you don’t have to submit to it!
Don’t just
recover from your afflictions when you can be victorious over and above them.
