Have you ever felt that being a Christian is too difficult. That whatever you do the devil has got you on the ropes and is throwing punches at you leaving you tired, depressed and wondering what the point is. Your prayer life struggles, reading the bible is boring and you start to wonder who your friends are.
If so then you’ve probably slipped up, backslid or done things that you promised yourself a long time ago you would never do again. Then comes shame, a feeling of being beaten and of being no use to God. You probably think there is no way back and you’ve screwed up too bad this time. Youre waiting for the knock out punch knowing its coming.
This is not such a bad thing. Its amazing what we can actually take. Ive been through all the above and in my darkest moment when the devil had me so tired I thought it was time to quit God used one of my favourite sports to show me something.
On the 30th of October 1974 George Foreman was the World and Olympic Heavyweight Champion. He was HUGE, POWERFUL and in the shape of his life, knocking the worlds best out without breaking a sweat. Mohammed Ali was his challenger, an ex-champion coming out of retirement, fat Slow and not even a shade of his former self. The promoters actually had a plane waiting to take Ali to the worlds top neurological hospital. For 8 eight rounds Ali slumped on the ropes taking blow after blow until in what seemed like a suicide move he started to taunt Foreman asking him ‘Is that all you got?’ Then with a combination that came from nowhere he knocked Foreman to the floor and being so tired from punching he was out for the count. The fight is viewed as the greatest of all time. When asked Ali said as Foreman hit him he just kept telling himself victory was his to take.
We can take more than we realise. ‘Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world’. God showed me no matter what the devil threw I had the victory. Our victory is in Christ. All we have to do is remember this, and live a life that shows we realise this. We have victory sometimes we just need to stop looking at the issue and remember it .
If you are in this circumstance, punch drunk and living in a way you don’t want to then now is the time for you to remember who your father is and throw that knock out combination. For me every time the devil takes a swipe now, when he tries to wear me down then I taunt back ‘Do you know who yore messing with? I am a Child of God. Greater is he…..’ It’s not us but he who lives in us.
Take heart we all screw up, Peter spent 3 years learning off the master then actually denied him. Often we don’t realise the importance of this –PETER DENIED KNOWING CHRIST IN WORDS AND ACTIONS. Then he made the greatest comeback of all time and became the rock on which the church was formed. Being a part of some of the greatest moves of God ever witnessed. SO CAN YOU.
Like Peter its time to make a comeback, ignore the thoughts, ignore the feelings even ignore the comments about being a hypocrite that will come your way. Throw the knockout combination, recognise who your Father is and retake control of your life.
