Three P’s for victorious living

Those of you know me well will know that I LOVE September. It’s my favourite month by far. Not only does it bring forth my birthday (which is a great day for reflecting on God’s goodness and mercies over the past year) but mostly because I feel like it’s a month of transitions and new beginnings, which always carries common mixed emotions in the form of excitement and fear. Not to mention that it’s also the end of summer, which in most cases (especially in the UK) gives people the opportunity to make use of the [rare] sun before the beauty of autumn and doom of winter descends upon us. In my case however, the month of September turned out to be quite a blessing, a victorious one despite the many challenges I faced. I won’t go into it with sheer detail just to spare you the ramble, but I’ve seen the hand of God at work in so many aspects of this new journey I’ve started. Walking on water (living out in faith) hasn’t proved to be easy so far, but as October rolls on, these are the three P’s I’m adopting for victorious living!!

‘…Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ…’ – (Romans 8:37)

Perseverance

There were times last month when I honestly wanted to give up, but something kept on pushing me keep going. Perseverance to me has such a strong connotation in turns of my faith and day-to-day life that I’ve embedded it into my daily living, through prayer and action. To persevere is to endure, even in the harshest of situations and when everything around you looks charred and in ruins. Everyday becomes a battle in every aspect and the evil one is setting traps for you, hoping you would just curse God and surrender to him. This word in every essence reminds me of the story of Job, a faithful servant of God who suffered greatly and lost everything, yet despite it all, he still continued to trust God. Did he question God? Of course he did. This is what makes the story so real, he was human but he held on firmly to God, his anchor and redeemer.

Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. –James 1:12 (GNB)

  Purpose

Okay, so this one was a challenging one. But I’ll make my point very brief. There were days when I would wake up and ask myself, ‘well, what is the point to all of this’? I found myself lamenting on the harsh transitions and reality of my circumstances and it lead me to ponder on these words from the write of Ecclesiastes which states ‘What do workers gain from their toil? Everything is meaningless’ – which subsequently left me feeling even more depressed. But when I began see these as ‘kingdom purposes’, the idea that God is using me where I am placed, to live and serve others for his praise and glory; it motivate me to do my very best in everything I am involved in.

‘Many persons have the wrong idea about what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose’ – Helen Keller

Perspective

And finally, having the right perspective keeps me humble. It reminds me to count my blessings. A dollop of positivity and hard-work can go a long way!! We’ve all heard the phrase ‘Your disappointment may turn out to be God’s appointment’- and rightly so! I am now trying to live my life in such a way that I try to see opportunities to bless others. Even if it’s simply putting a smile on someone’s face and try my best to see God at work in smallest detail of my everyday life; and above all living it with thanksgiving for I know my father has so much more in store for me, so I surrender.

‘In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines [directs] his steps’ (Proverbs 16:9).

Can you relate? Are you currently finding it difficult to see the bigger picture? Remember that God is in control, trust Him in the now and He will bless you in your tomorrow. I love hearing from you, start a conversation!

~Joy and peace

Fufu