Faith and Victory

For the last month, I have been slowly working my way through 1 John. So good! Everything I've read goes right along with what God has been teaching me anyway (coincidence? I think not!) and I pray that these lessons stick. I don't want to simply read and appreciate it, I want to, by God's grace, live it. Anyway, I'm nearly at the end of the book now, and I wanted to share something that stood out to me when I read the beginning of chapter 5 a few days ago.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:3-5)

There is so much to that, but what struck me that particular morning was what John doesn't say. He doesn't say that the victory that has overcome the world is our perseverance, our endurance, our obedience, our willingness to stand and fight in the battle... it's our faith. We are called to do all of those things, but that's not where our hope of victory lies, because it's ultimately not about what we do. Faith is the key to overcoming because our faith is in Him. The point isn't faith in and of itself. After all, I could believe with all my heart that I could jump off a cliff and fly, but my belief wouldn't somehow magically produce results (although I have to admit, that would be pretty cool!) It's the object of our faith that matters, and faith in Christ plants our feet firmly on a Rock that cannot be moved.  As we persevere, obey, fight, and seek to run faithfully the race He has marked for us, may our confidence rest not in our ability to stand, but in His ability to keep us standing. If He is our hope of victory, we will indeed overcome!


In other news, while it may not feel like fall here, at least our schoolroom door is festive! The girls and I end each week of school with a craft project, and this was our project last week.