I Am ALWAYS A Winner

Meditations for Ragamuffins

November 29, 2023

I Am ALWAYS A Winner

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18 (NRSV) 

“And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory” (Colossians 1:27b). These words of Paul are deeply embedded in my soul. With my faith resting on this powerful affirmation from Saint Paul, I am a winner.

There are days, after two hours on the hard tennis courts, that I hobble around with sore knees and feet and feel like I am twenty years older than I am. Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory. There are days when depression is my closest traveling companion. Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory. There are days when the congregation is singing robustly; the choir’s anthem reaches all the way to Heaven, and the preacher rightly divides the word of God, and yet my mind wanders and I’m wondering what’s for lunch. Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory. There are days when I fail miserably in taking all my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and instead suffer with all manner of vain imaginings. Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory.

Somewhere on a kitchen wall hangs a plaque in a beaten-up wooden frame: “God will not look you over for medals, diplomas, or honors, but for scars . . .” Amen, brother! Those scars are not just from persecutions suffered through service in the name of Christ. Those scars also come from our own wrestling matches with our flesh, our own efforts, sometimes successful, often not so much so, to crucify our flesh. Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory.

When we are pressed on every side by troubles, when we are perplexed, when we are hunted down, and when we get knocked down by life, it is hard to feel like a winner.  (See 2 Corinthians 4:8-9) Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory.  I have come to realize that Saint Paul’s direction, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” was a lot easier for him to write, than for me to implement in my life; thus, for me, the promised “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” is sometimes quite illusive (Philippians 4:6-7).  Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory.

My Takeaway: Even so, Christ is in me, the hope of glory. With my faith resting on this powerful affirmation from Saint Paul, I am ALWAYS a winner. 

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.