Perspective Change: That wasn't defeat after all!

Today I went back to my home church.

I have to say that although I really enjoyed the teachings of the church I had been visiting for the past month and I NEEDED those teachings, I was SO GLAD to be back at my home base today.  

It's a place where deliverance, liberation, and the Holy Spirit flows.  Even in dry times the word never comes back void.  

The Pastor didn't disappoint:  He talked about Victory in Christ:  The Thrill of Victory and The Agony of Defeat.  It was outstanding and went along with all what's been in my spirit all week about closed doors.

Defeating my Attitude of Defeat

Now as we all remember, earlier this year I had an encounter which really exposed my anger and bitterness at God because my life wasn't looking so hot to the outside world.  I was angry and bitter because it seemed that I had been defeated, disqualified, and left for dead out in the wilderness. 

I haven't been defeated...NOT EVEN CLOSE

So after all of that ugly heart stuff was exposed, I confessed to God about my anger and bitterness and things began to change.  I went forward to the altar to receive the word to set my foot down because enough was enough. I went forward again when the Pastor asked for people to come forward who needed perspective changes and then that Senior Saint got a hold to me a few Sundays later and said to "BE FREE" and I had people praying for me and I received the word that Things will be different and they most certainly have been.

I have begun to realize I haven't been defeated in the least.  In fact, I'm emerging more and more victorious every day.  I see where God has been working in my life. The change in outside circumstances regarding my career is one thing, but I am talking about my thought processes.

I'm running around praying about everything and seeing things happen.  I had an instance the other day where I said, "If things keep on like this, then I really will think I can move mountains!  God is really listening!!!"  I'm also running around speaking encouragement into people.  I was at the store getting a new phone and I started telling the girl at the counter to stop holding herself back.  I also got into a conversation with another patron about embracing a healthier lifestyle and gave her my card.

This isn't sounding like defeat to me.

Even about THAT

Let some tell it and I am a lost cause.  I'm 30 something with no prospects in sight, I don't have dates, I've missed out on this one and that one, and my eggs will probably dry up. 

Well that's a LIE times two.

I have been going around speaking prophetically about THAT as well.  I know I won't be defeated in this area.  Yes, it has been barren and dry.  Yes, it seems bleak and hopeless but that is where God works the best.

I don't believe it's going to be dry for much longer because for the past nine months I have been digging a   spiritual well in this area.  My heart and perspective has totally changed.  Do you think that someone who is defeated would go out on a limb and start praying for a husband that is nowhere in sight?  Someone who is defeated wouldn't even bother to do that and they certainly wouldn't be writing all of these things on a blog for people to see.

Letting others define victories and defeat

This to me is the crux of it all:  Most of us judge victories and defeat not by our own standards, but by the other standards.  Whether it is worldly standards or other people's standards, we judge defeats and victories based on these erroneous standards.

I am reading a great Amazon series called the "10 Habits of Highly Successful Women" and one of the women had a hugely successful media career and to the outside world she had MADE IT.  Inside she felt far away from that.  She was angry, bitter, hated her life and eventually quit it all.  She lost a lot of her friends, most of the money, and all of the "fame" that came with her career.

Now according to the outside world she had the thrill of victory, but in her inner life she had the agony of defeat.  Just because we have what the world deems as victory doesn't mean that we're victorious.  Again, how many of those Behind the Music specials do you see where the people have all the money fame, and sex in the world yet they are getting high every night to get away from it all because they hate themselves.

This has been a HUGE perspective change for me these past few weeks.  I need to STOP letting the world and other people define my victories and defeats.

Something New

Yes even the barren and dry parts of my life are going to begin to produce new life.  He has already begun.  I am holding tight to this promise in Isaiah.

Isaiah 43:19

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

To God be the Glory