Sunday, April 13, 2014

Because of Easter We Are Overcomers


“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know . . . his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:18-20).

What are you overcome by?  Pain, anxiety, despair, loss?  What about happiness, excitement, thankfulness, or relief?  Life is usually a mixture of both, but pain and problems can leave us feeling overwhelmingly overcome with negative thoughts and emotions rather than positive ones. 

More and more, I am realizing the great significance of these verses in Ephesians and how they should be impacting my life.  As I think about the power that God exerted to raise Christ from the dead, my human mind can’t fully comprehend what that entailed.  But I do know that no other power is so great, and as a Christian, that power now lives in me.

There are countless times when we may wonder how we can endure another moment of pain, depression, grief, or loss.  Jesus understands our pain and distress.  He was overcome with sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane to the point of sweating blood.  He was overcome by grief because of friends that failed Him.  He was overcome by the agony of knowing He would be separated from God the Father as He bore our sins on the cross. 
 
But hours later He victoriously overcame sin and death, and now His power and Spirit live in us.  Regardless of how hopeless things may appear at times, we CAN endure and overcome whatever God allows in our lives because of His resurrection power.

Yes, life will still be painful, and we will not always feel or act victoriously.  But the Holy Spirit reminds us of that first Easter morning and what it means to us, now and eternally.  In faith we believe and declare that we are overcomers, and we will keep overcoming until our own resurrection day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise and thank You for Easter and Your victory over sin and death.  Help me overcome each day with victorious thoughts and attitudes rather than defeated ones, knowing that Your resurrection power is alive in me.  Amen.

 

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