Weekday Devotionals

Written by: Tony Tolvo

Verse: 
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” Rev. 3:21 NKJV

Thought:
How do we overcome? How do we get the victory? How do we become that mature disciple that naturally responds to life as Jesus would? How do we experience a victorious character transformation at our core?
It’s clear that God wants us to walk in victory.

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 Jo 1:2

In the foundational verse for this devotion, in what manner is Jesus encouraging us to overcome? He seems to compare those that overcome to his own victory…”even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”  
How can that be? How can we overcome like Jesus?
                      I mean he was the God-Man...
                                    and that’s certainly not me…
                                                            are you kidding?

I can’t do that stuff… Jesus is Holy and I’m… well… me.

Many of us don’t understand what is actually happening when we first come to Christ and accept him as our Lord and Savior, we have a tiny bit of Faith…just a little bit of belief.

“Man, I hope that preacher’s right ‘cuz I sure need this”

That might be what we’re saying to ourselves but, at that moment, God is baptizing us into the Death of Christ.  

“…as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life’ Rom 6:3-4

I know we don’t understand this at the time but that does not make this any less true.

As we pursue the 7 Spiritual Growth Ingredients of Personal Study, Fellowship, Prayer and Fasting, Service, Generosity and Evangelism, what starts out as this tiny bit of belief grows and grows and grows. Our doubts retreat and our belief advances.  Conversely, if we neglect these Spiritual Growth Ingredients or some would call them Spiritual Disciplines, we’ll struggle along the way. Our path to overcome will not exactly be a linear one.

Application/Challenge:
Pray and ask God to show you in which of the Spiritual disciplines lie your opportunity for growth. It could be several. Whatever it is, dive in with enthusiasm. The more we study, pray, get around other believers, serve, give cheerfully and tell folks about Jesus, the more our Faith and belief will increase and we will truly “Walk in newness of Life”.

God Bless Y’all.
-Tony