Study 1 – Reigning in Life?

We ‘reign in life’. ‘We are more than conquerors.’ ‘He always leads us in triumph.’ These truths strike a chord in your heart. ‘Yes,’  you say to yourself, ‘that’s what I’m meant to be – on top reigning in life.  If only it were true.

You recall times when you made fresh endeavours to reign in life. There was that memorable 31 December when you looked back over the previous year and thought, 'What a waste'.

Then you turned your attention on the clean, unmarred year ahead and decided, 'This one's going to be different. This time I'm really going to reign!'

Maybe you set yourself spiritual targets. 'I'll get up earlier; read the Bible in twelve months; pray harder and witness to one person every week.' For the first few days you did quite well. Then you overslept and missed your prayer time. The following morning you had to read a double portion of Scripture which meant that you didn't have time to pray for as many individuals as you should have done.

By the end of the week you were trailing by eleven chapters and 23 people – but you had at least witnessed to the postman!

Since then your spiritual behaviour has gone up and down. You gaze enviously at those who seem to sail through with God and wonder, 'If I'm supposed to be a conqueror, why am I such a loser? Why don't I experience complete victory over temptation, sin and condemnation? Why do I always seem to be letting God down?'

There are countless discouraged believers like you. They too hear the Scriptures about living in victory and they too fail miserably to keep up their spiritual activities.

'Reigning in life is a great calling,' they think. 'But you have to be an incredibly devout and dedicated believer to succeed at it. I just haven't got the stamina. For me, the whole idea of reigning in life is like a far-off mountain peak – very beautiful but totally unattainable.'

To Read

'I am so angry and frustrated because I feel like I'm trying to live in two worlds simultaneously and failing in both. I just can't be what Christian friends say I must. I can't always be smiling, up, walking with my head in the clouds, folding my hands, and saying, "Praise the Lord!" I get depressed, scared, feel alone and angry, even at God! Then when these feelings subside I feel guilty. I need freedom. I need a God who understands my feelings and isn't going to zap me with a lightning bolt because of them.' – Stephen Brown

Can you identify with this person?

To Meditate On

Jesus wants you to be a victorious Christian

'We are more than conquerors through him who loved us'
(Rom. 8:37).

'God … gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ'
(1 Cor. 15:57).

'God … always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ'
(2 Cor. 2:14).

To Consider

DO YOU THINK that to 'reign in life' better, you must work harder at things like Bible study, prayer, witnessing and fellowship?

DO YOU THINK you are reigning in life now? YES/NO

Food For Thought

READ MATTHEW 11:28-30.
If reigning in life is apparently such a struggle, how do you come to terms with the above Scripture?

Do you think that you reign in life by working harder at things like Bible study and prayer? If not, how do you think you reign in life?

LOOK CLOSELY at ROMANS 5:17.
How does Paul say that we reign in life? What do you think this means?

Be Inspired

The trouble is that most Christians think they're saved by grace but grow by sweat.

STEPHEN BROWN

'Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith' (1 John 5:4).