That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 1:6
REFERENCE
Philemon 1:4-7
When you look at areas of your life you think you are disadvantaged in, discouragement sets in, and several times a sense of despondency comes and you get stagnated. But, in God and with God on your side, you are never at a disadvantage. Yes, you are not…you have God on your side. This is not the time to sit and moan over what you lack or lost, it is a time to count your blessings and celebrate whom God has made you and what He is doing in and around you.
As humans, we have a natural bent to quickly forget God’s blessings because we are driven by needs. When one is met, we seek another. We are quick to see what is lacking, missing, unfinished, undone, etc., but we forget to see what we have, what is done, and what is left. Imagine how you would have craved for the things you have now if you didn’t have them?
Our text can be paraphrased thus, “Let the sharing of your faith become effective as you acknowledge every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” This means there are good things in you – good things happening for you, things worthy to be shared, and God wants you to acknowledge them. So, rather than get depressed and complain about the things that haven’t happened for you this year, thank God for what you have, no matter how minute it seems. What you focus on gets magnified and dwarfs what you give less attention to.
It is the plan of God that the end of a matter is better than the beginning of the matter. Haggai 2:9 reveals that the glory of the latter shall be greater than the former. So, you should be prepared with the right attitude to face the rest of the year with faith. This is the time to regroup, re-fire, re-strategize and trust God to receive the latter glory that this year holds.
You can begin to rewrite the remainder of the year for yourself; don’t be intimidated by past failures or any handicap you sense, God has a solution for you. It doesn’t matter what has happened, God is not done with you yet; He will still perfect that which concerns you in this year. He will give you present victories in the place of former defeats, in Jesus’ name.
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Job 8:7, Luke 17:11-19, Psalm 107:1-3, & 138:8
TO DO
+ Take time out and consciously write out the things God has done thus far in your life, and thank Him affectionately for them.
+ Declare by faith, that the remaining part of the year will be more glorious than the former; and that you will supernaturally accomplish things that were insurmountable in the past months by God’s grace.