November 21 & 22, 2009, "Passion To Win..."
Triumphant Victorious Reminders
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Written By: Teresa Criswell
"But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
~ I Corinthians 10:13 (New Living Translation)~
School. Peers. Quizzes. Tests. Sports. What do these words describe? A student/athlete. Today is Cody's first wrestling tournament. To watch the discipline of our son, a junior in high school, and a wrestler (rated number four in the state of Texas, weight bracket 152) is utterly amazing and convicting. Especially one that is still growing into his body; the aches of hunger and the workouts before school, during and after. Conditioning and preparing his body for the season.
The preparation before his first meet is grueling and comes months before the actual season begins. The foods he has stayed away from; the foods he is tempted to eat. Then on top of that, his growing body screaming out, "Feed me!" The peers shouting out, "Party over here with us; take the edge off!" Yet to see the champion mentality rise up in him is nothing short of amazing. I am finding that the passion for the win is stronger than the temptation to give in (That's a great one Lord).
This leads me to my passion for Who God Is and His Unfailing, loving heart. Is my passion for Him stronger than the passion to give into those habitual sins? I'm so not there. I am not feeling condemned, but it brings me to this place where I truly desire to want my Father God to be blessed more than I desire to be blessed.
What are one of the tools He has equipped us with that can lead to this passion? I would have to say that most likely praising Him for His great faithfulness, which leads us in a state of reminding ourselves of who He is; not who He isn't. With that praise to Him we also exercise the fruit of self control. It's not something we pray for, it's something He has already placed within us by the Holy Spirit when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. It's literally stirring that 'fruit' on the inside of us with the help of the Spirit of God.
Am I prepared for the next 'meet'? The next challenge? Unfortunately, there's not a 'schedule' of when the next challenge will occur or at what venue. However, this just shows how vitally important it is to be prepared in God, in the physical realm and in all other realms as He leads and even as the commonsense He has given us leads. The preparation is not about me taking on the challenge, it is about my trust in my God that will get me through the next challenge.
Today, I am reminded that the passion for the win must be stronger than the temptation to give in.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Written By: Teresa Criswell
"But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
~ I Corinthians 10:13 (New Living Translation)~
School. Peers. Quizzes. Tests. Sports. What do these words describe? A student/athlete. Today is Cody's first wrestling tournament. To watch the discipline of our son, a junior in high school, and a wrestler (rated number four in the state of Texas, weight bracket 152) is utterly amazing and convicting. Especially one that is still growing into his body; the aches of hunger and the workouts before school, during and after. Conditioning and preparing his body for the season.
The preparation before his first meet is grueling and comes months before the actual season begins. The foods he has stayed away from; the foods he is tempted to eat. Then on top of that, his growing body screaming out, "Feed me!" The peers shouting out, "Party over here with us; take the edge off!" Yet to see the champion mentality rise up in him is nothing short of amazing. I am finding that the passion for the win is stronger than the temptation to give in (That's a great one Lord).
This leads me to my passion for Who God Is and His Unfailing, loving heart. Is my passion for Him stronger than the passion to give into those habitual sins? I'm so not there. I am not feeling condemned, but it brings me to this place where I truly desire to want my Father God to be blessed more than I desire to be blessed.
What are one of the tools He has equipped us with that can lead to this passion? I would have to say that most likely praising Him for His great faithfulness, which leads us in a state of reminding ourselves of who He is; not who He isn't. With that praise to Him we also exercise the fruit of self control. It's not something we pray for, it's something He has already placed within us by the Holy Spirit when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. It's literally stirring that 'fruit' on the inside of us with the help of the Spirit of God.
Am I prepared for the next 'meet'? The next challenge? Unfortunately, there's not a 'schedule' of when the next challenge will occur or at what venue. However, this just shows how vitally important it is to be prepared in God, in the physical realm and in all other realms as He leads and even as the commonsense He has given us leads. The preparation is not about me taking on the challenge, it is about my trust in my God that will get me through the next challenge.
Today, I am reminded that the passion for the win must be stronger than the temptation to give in.
Awesome word, Teresa! A life lived without passion for Christ is a wasted life. But even the passion we can't muster on our own, we need the Holy Spirit to fill us with the desire and longing for Jesus. To God be the glory!
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