Faith to Thrive

There is a great difference between self-preservation and overcoming. It’s the difference between the wilderness and the Promised Land. A survivor is someone who suffers a terrible attack and lives to tell about it.

In the Kingdom of God, that’s not good enough. An overcomer is someone who suffers a terrible attack, then rises up and defeats his attacker. Survivors are victims. Overcomers are victorious. Survivors have wounds. Overcomers have scars, like Jesus.

Survivors are peacekeepers – think United Nations Peacekeeping Forces – basically useless. Overcomers are peace makers – think the six-chambered pistol Samuel Colt forged that was used to bring justice and order to a lawless land.

You see, survivors go through the fire, then live life in constant reference to how they were burned. Overcomers go through the fire, and don’t even have the smell of smoke on their clothes – think Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego walking with the Angel of God in the fiery furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” – Daniel 3:28

Were they concerned about their own survival? If they were, they would have bowed down to the golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar. Instead, they refused to worship a false god. They honored the one true God by showing their evil king who the real boss was.

Yes, there is a big difference between survivors and overcomers. However, the biggest difference is in reward. In the Kingdom of God, survivors don’t inherit the promises. Overcomers do.