Gaining the Ultimate Victory
By: Becky Cawthon, Temple Terrace, Florida
It is 4th down with 5 seconds left on the clock in the 4th quarter of the championship football game. There is time for one more play. One team will feel the “thrill of victory” and the other, “the agony of defeat”! This phrase was spoken by Jim McKay, the host of Wide World of Sports that began on April 29, 1961. He said, “Spanning the globe, to bring you the constant variety of sports…the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic competition…this is ABC’s Wide World of Sports!”
Showing clips of victories and defeats, the show's intro drew attention to the fact that the athletic highs and lows are global. It’s true; however, they are certainly not limited to sports. I have felt the thrill of victory in losing a couple of pounds, but more often, the agony of stepping back on the scale again to see those pounds reappear, plus another one or two. There is the thrill of feeling better after a long bout of illness, and the agony of the pain through the recovery. There is also the thrill in winning a game of Quiddler while battling worthy opponents. I’m sure you can relate through victories and defeats of your own. In this life, we all face battles, and sometimes, we are victorious, and at other times, we are not. Some victories are very inconsequential while others have a huge impact on our life here on this earth. It is our job to determine through scripture which are truly important and which are not.
The only way to do this is to be focused on Gaining THE Victory. It is choosing the plan and the paths that will guide our entire life. Victory is defined as an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition. Our God has provided everything we need to attain THE Victory. He has revealed that to us through the Bible, and He had this plan in place before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians 1 verse 3, Paul writes that God has chosen the character and paths for those who choose to follow Him. In verses 9-11 of that chapter, Paul continues saying that God “made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Him we have obtained an inheritance…”
Just as a football team has a play determined for that final 5 seconds, teammates cheering them on the sidelines, and 11 people to execute that play, we have everything we need and a God who wants us and helps us to succeed. In 2 Peter 1:3, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence. We have to have that faith and trust in God to persevere and do what He says and not lean on our own understanding. That is when we fail and experience the defeats in this life.
We have to know who our enemy is and realize that he will do anything he can to defeat us. Remember that Satan is our enemy; he is the father of lies and will try to keep us from reaching THE goal. Christ knew this, and we have to remember how he defeated Satan by knowing “what is written.” This is how He answered Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness (Matt.4:1-11). We have to know His word and the Father’s will in order to win in the skirmishes and larger battles of this life.
Christ did this perfectly, and thus, defeated Satan, making it possible for us to Gain THE Victory through our faith in Him. Keep your eyes on the only goal that matters. Look to the faithful witnesses in Hebrews 11 who all died in faith. They all desired a better country - a heavenly one. God has prepared for them a city. Our encouragement continues in Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and defeater of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Eight and a half years ago, I went to see my 91 year old father in a rehab facility. I walked into his room, as I had done daily for a couple of weeks, to eat lunch with him. He was sitting in his wheelchair reading the Bible which also was a very normal occurrence. However, this time, he said, “I can’t do this anymore…I am ready to go.” Not totally understanding, I encouraged him to continue with the battle of rehab. That was not what he was talking about. He was weary and had a better place to be. With that, he closed his Bible and quoted from Paul’s words in
2 Timothy 4. Beginning in the middle of verse 6 he said, “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course and I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Then, I knew he was ready to Gain THE Victory…the only victory that matters. He was ready to gain the promises that Christ promised to all His faithful servants. He died three days later.
Let us all live our lives, keeping our eyes on that goal. Faith is the Victory that overcomes the world. May we all look forward to Gaining THE Victory.