When it rains, it pours!  There are times in life it can feel like the windows of Hades are opening up and pouring out one problem after another on us until we feel like we are drowning in a sea of misery.  

We all go through seasons such as this; it’s life!  But, if our mind is not set on things above, we can very easily succumb to feelings of hopelessness and sheer exhaustion.  Sometimes, we just want to quit!  Stop this world and let me off! 

We can become so accustomed to seeing trouble on every side that we begin to look for it.  Even when a glimpse of sunlight begins to peer through the storm clouds, our jaded outlook tells us that it will be short lived, and that the fury of the storm will return again as soon as we allow ourselves to enjoy the sunlight on our face. 

Will there ever be anything good to look forward to in life again?  Will I ever be able to escape from this trap that crushes me under its tremendous weight?  Will I ever see sunlight again?  How do I get out of this heap of despair that has me buried under its unbearable grip?

One thing I have learned is that it is not the circumstances that keep us buried, but it is our outlook.  Everyone faces crises and trouble in life.  It comes as part of package of living here on this earth.  However, have you ever noticed that some people seem to strut along through life, seemingly unscathed by the burn of life’s difficulties, yet some find themselves buried under their problems over and over again?

What is the difference?

First of all, you must know that you ARE ALREADY an overcomer because Christ in you is an overcomer (John 16:33).  You automatically have what He has because He lives within you and the paid the price for you to have it all.  So, the difference comes when you accept the fact that you do not have to stay buried under your circumstances, but you can choose to live as an overcomer.  It is a choice!

You see, it is not your circumstances that have you buried; it is your determined mindset.  You must put your focus on Christ and on His truths about you and your situations in order to live in the victory that He has already provided for you.

It is like an umbrella that protects you from the storms of life. The storms still surely come, but you can walk in peace, victory, and confidence that everything is going to be fine.  When it seems like the fury of hell is being poured out on you, know that you are protected, and the windows of Heaven are pouring even greater blessings on you.  The difference is in your perspective.

Which will be your focus?  The curses of life that cannot overtake you if you won’t let them?  Or, the tremendous blessings that God bestows upon us daily?  Where will you look?

Whichever you choose to be your focus is the one in which will determine your level of victory and peace in this life. It is your choice because God’s provision is already available to you!

So, get up!  Get out from under!  Live in the blessings that are yours!  Enjoy life in spite of its difficulties!  God is great, and life is good!  Victory is yours!

Read John 10:10, and let it sink in!  I included four difference translations so you will be sure to absorb the message thoroughly.

Many times in my life, I allowed myself to become consumed by my problems, my needs, and my hurts.  I felt so buried under them and saw no escape.

That is no way for a child of God to live! 

The victory was already mine!  I was then and am now an overcomer, but I was not living like one.  I needed to adjust my thinking, my attitude, and my focus. I needed to rely on and to claim the truth about my life from God’s Word.  That changes everything!  Once I took my focus off myself and my problems, and I focused rather on God and His truth about me, everything began to turn around.  He has overcome the world, and therefore, I am also an overcomer. I just need to make the choice of believing and living in it.

Quit saying that I can’t overcome my addition to food and do not give up trying.  I am an overcomer and this addiction cannot overcome me.

Fill my mind and heart with overcoming Scripture and thoughts every day so I will have it deep within to draw from when needed.

Lean on Him and trust Him when I face a problem or feel overwhelmed.

Intentionally choose my focus and mindset.

Obey, even when I don’t want to or feel like it.

Choose to walk in victory instead of being pitiful.

Nip it before I allow myself to get too far buried under my circumstances.

(Jesus said,) “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“With our focus off our faithful God, we move into the place of living under the problem and the weight of the emotion associated with it.  This results in anxieties of all kinds.”

“Do you really think it is God’s best for you and me to live under things?”

“When we focus only on self and become consumed by the conflict, we begin to live under it rather than being an overcomer through faith in Christ.”

“…You cannot blame the funk on anyone else.  You are agreeing to be there by staying in yourself and refusing to live as an overcomer.”

“I don’t want sympathy; I want Jesus!  I want to live above the circumstance, stay out of the funk, and keep my eyes on Jesus, the author of my life and finisher of my faith.”

“I choose today to be positive, to walk in the faith that God knows me and loves me and that I am in His hand.”

“I do not have to live under my problems in worry. I can trust that God will get me through each day and each life circumstance.”