Overcoming Negatives in Our Lives

Sometimes the negatives in life seem overwhelming, whether it be difficult circumstances, problems in relationships, financial issues, personal habits that we aren't overcoming, or losses that enter our life.  These negatives put pressure on our identity and areas of weakness, insecurity, fears, deception get exposed.  Jesus said in John 16:33, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  Our world can be a very trying place at times putting pressure on who we believe we are.  Character is not achieved but revealed and then appropriated into our lives.

I have often wandered how it is true that "God causes all things to work together for our good...", later in this passage it talks about us being conformed to the image of Christ.  How exactly does this work and how do we partner with God?  Father has provided a way for us to partner with Him by giving us a promise that is the opposite of the negative in our life.  There are over 750 promises in the New Testament.  These are doorways into overcoming negatives in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is amazing at showing us how to move in the opposite spirit and discovering who God is for us in our circumstance, difficulty, or trial.

Instead of remaining in orphan thinking, the promises of God call us out to a whole new realm of living in union with God.  Jesus said He overcame the world, we don't overcome in our own strength but on reliance on who He is for us.  Promises open us up to the joy of who God is for us in where we are in life.  If we continue in our old orphan ways of thinking, we will get what we have gotten in the past.  We can't think like an orphan and live like a son.  We must adopt a new way of thinking as a son or daughter united to Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

This is not something we achieve by striving, we learn to receive as we quiet ourselves to come before Him to receive meditating on the Promise He gives us and the new thoughts He gives.  What if we came to a point in life where we could actually find joy when we are bombarded with life's negatives because of who God is for us and the upgrade we are receiving to our identity.

Overcoming in Him,
Bret