OvercomingSample

Overcoming is not eliminating.

This is a crucial distinction.

Overcoming doesn’t mean a challenge or issue is completely removed from our lives.

In our contemporary world, we often perceive all challenges as negatives. They are nuisances to be exterminated from the beautiful garden of our lives. But, in truth, both pain and pleasure are integral components of the enduring terrain of our lives.

Our lives encompass hills, valleys, jagged cliffs, towering summits, deserts, and forests.
The point is this: just because you still grapple with struggles, weaknesses, and failings does not mean you are not an overcomer in Christ.

For instance, we don’t overcome anxiety in the sense that we will never experience moments or periods of anxiety. Such an expectation is simply not realistic.

We don’t banish stress.

We don’t eliminate fear.

However, we can triumph over these in the biblical sense. We win the battle for our destiny and our peace.

So, if overcoming is not synonymous with elimination, what precisely is it?

Allow me to share three biblical elements of the overcoming life:

1: The act of overcoming is performed by Jesus, not by us humans. It's not a man-made invention but a spiritual position we inherit. We are "in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

2: Overcoming intertwines with the enigma of a promise I currently possess in the present and a promise I am actively moving towards in the future. I am saved, and I am in the process of being saved. I am an overcomer, and concurrently, I am in the process of overcoming. (Philippians 2:12–13)

3: In every personal adversity, I can tap into strength from God for assistance. Indeed, the term "overcoming" in the New Testament originates from a Greek word signifying victory, conquering, prevailing, enduring, and overthrowing a prevailing force. (Romans 12:21)

Being an overcomer in Christ does not mean every problem is eliminated. You are not disqualified from considering yourself an overcomer because you have imperfections. That’s normal. That’s the authentic reality of our human fragility. Just remember that our human fragility is not our limit—we are spiritually called to the overcoming life with Jesus.

Embrace the tension: you have the God-given position of being an overcomer right now, and you are also in the process of overcoming, which takes a lifetime.