Overcome

The last few days I have been practicing for Sunday Easter service in the kids class.  The worship songs were chosen by me and the leaders of the classroom.    I have been super excited about being in this class on Easter because there really is nothing sweeter then worshiping with kids...And to be able to share in the joy of our Savior's resurrection with those sweet little ones...humbles and blesses me in ways I can't even describe!   But for some reason the songs we chose were not really resonating with me.   The songs are Stronger, Revelation Song, and Overcome.   All great songs...all very powerful songs....so last night, I decided to dig a little deeper.    I decided to go with my ever so trusty dictionary.  One thing I have learned, when you want to go deeper...finding the definition of a word or words can really help to open up a whole new perspective.   

So I chose the word Overcome.

The definition of Overcome is to Defeat, Crush, Overpower.  To succeed in dealing with.

  As I read this, I let that definition sink in for a minute.    Really thought about those words, defeat, Crush and overpower..... Christ won.   He is stronger.   He defeated the enemy....and the prize was us.   

Then I thought, normally I focused on Easter as a time to celebrate what Jesus did on the cross to save me and make a way for me to be a child of God to spend eternity in heaven, so true and powerful.  But what about the part where He overcame the world.   This world we live in right now.   Our eternity has been changed, AND our day to day lives have been altered by Christ's resurrection. 

      

John 16:33 says "These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world."      

He has defeated the world....Succeeded in dealing with the world.   Pain, sadness, fear, anger, sickness, anxiety, hurt, depression....He has defeated all of these things.   He has made us overcomes, through His death and resurrection.    1 John 5:5 says "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."   We have the power, in Christ, to be overcomes as His word says.   He has overcome it all, and through Him, we can overcome it all.   Does this mean nothing will ever go wrong for us?   Of course not, but it does mean we do not have to face life feeling helpless and prey to this world.   We can stand in confidence knowing that we walk with the one who already beat this world.    He holds the victory.  And we are walking on this earth, in that victory through Christ.

Last night I filled in at The Hope Center.  The Lord put it on my heart during my time with the ladies, to challenge them as overcomes to choose something they felt was controlling them, or something that was pulling them away from Christ.  A struggle or difficulty.  Something that they wanted victory over, and surrender it to the Lord believing that He would bring them overcoming freedom.   Most of them stood when I asked who had surrendered something and one girl even gave a testimony of surrendering, and feeling freedom from the bondage of sugar addiction and bulimia.  

I wonder if there aren't things that we carry around.  Times when we are robbed of freedom because we accept or learn to deal with.   Or just assume that because we are in this world we will have to bare as a burden.  When Jesus is saying to us "Look, I already won.  I already overcame the world.   You can walk in this freedom today.  You are no longer in the bondage of sin and the world is no longer a threat to you.  Give that thing to me, let me show you my overcoming love.   In me my child you can overcome."

Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love

Destined to die, poured out for all mankind

God's only Son, perfect and spotless one

He never sinned but suffered as if He did

All authority

Every victory is Yours

All authority

Every victory is Yours

Savior, worthy of honor and glory

Worthy of all our praise, You overcame

Jesus, awesome in power forever

Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame

Power in hand speaking the Father's plan

You're sending us out, light in this broken land

We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb

And the word of our testimony, everyone overcome