Are You An Overcomer?

Read 1st John Chapters 4 & 5

Throughout our life times we have overcome something. Whether as a little kid learning to ride a bike, by getting back on every time we fell off. Or as a teenager, getting over that first crush, by moving on with life, and becoming interested in other things and people.
My biggest achievement as an overcomer would be when I gave my life to the LORD and gave up drinking and smoking and hard living.
As a kid, we overcame with practice. But as a teenager and adult we have to overcome by submission. We can either submit to the problem area in our life and let it control us, or we can give our life to the LORD and live like He tells us to do. You may not have had to overcome, alcohol, smoking or other harmful addictions, but you did at some time as a Christian have to make a decision to live for the LORD and become an overcomer of this world.
We all have to overcome the world and the things in the world. We can not do this on our own. We have to have the love of Christ in us. In other words we have to decide His way is better and live that way.
I like what it says in 1st John 5 vs 3-5...For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?.........
I like the part that says His commandments are not burdensome. You see before I became a Christian, I thought Christians were boring and did not know how to have fun. Was I ever wrong?
I have had more fun as a Christian, than ever in my lifetime. (And let me tell you, I thought I was having fun living in sin) but now, as a Christian, I have seen more and done more than I ever could have living in sin. You see I spent so much money on beer, cigarettes, and other things of the world, that I never had enough to enjoy the really good things of the world, the most important being spending time with and getting to know my sons. We are closer now than we ever were in our lifetimes, mainly because I can appreciate them more. I look upon them now as a gift from God, and something He created and not something I created. Another, of my favorites is traveling with my husband. My husband and I have been to 3 other countries, been in 45 states in the US, and have plans to finish the rest of the US and visit more countries. We have seen and appreciated so much of God's creation. The key word here being appreciated. Anybody can look upon something, or someone but to really appreciate something is all together different.
I have had more real relationships with friends than I ever did as a non-believer. I have learned to appreciate different people. I have a whole new outlook on what love is really all about. I thought I knew love before, but until you have experienced the love of Christ personally in your life, you do not know what love is.
I challenge you today, if you are not already an overcomer in Christ, make a change today. Put the things of the world behind you and put Christ first in your life. You will not regret it. I promise.
Neta