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The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

Conquering your toughest enemy—yourself!

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‘Follow in the footsteps of Christ.’ 1 Peter 2:21 CEV

Richard C. Halverson, former chaplain of the United States Senate, said: ‘Want to be a winner? Compete against yourself, not somebody else… Outrunning your rival doesn’t mean you ran your best race. You can win over another and still not fulfil your potential… To be your best, you must compete with yourself. It’s life’s biggest contest. A loser is a winner—however many his losses—if he conquers himself. A winner is a loser—however many his victories—if he loses the battle with himself. Alexander the Great conquered the world, and cursed his own lack of self-control. Victory over others may in fact be the very thing that contributes to the winner’s failure to conquer self. Winning makes him proud, arrogant, independent, thoughtless—and sometimes cruel. To put it another way, it isn’t what happens to you that makes the difference, but how you handle it. The one who stops maturing spiritually because he thinks he knows more Scripture than others or has more success in ministry, is still far from being what Christ planned for him.’

Compared to others you may look good, but God’s plan is to produce in you the character qualities of Christ. ‘Follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you. Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie. Although He was abused, He never tried to get even. And when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He had faith in God, who judges fairly.’ (1 Peter 2:21–23 CEV)

SoulFood: 2 Kings 5:1–14, John 5:1–15

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

The Word for Today

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