Experiencing Victory

It is easy for me to get discouraged when I feel like I am so far from reaching my goals. For example, I am not sure when I will finish my Master's degree, but it may be another two years. Sometimes I get discouraged that it will take so long, especially when I feel that it will be impossible to complete the course load and actually pass the Comp Exams. I also get discouraged when I feel like my struggle with food will never be gone. Even though the past few weeks have been really good and I have not binged, I know it will take many months, even years, of abstinence before I truly experience victory and freedom from this struggle. Knowing it will take that long discourages me and even makes me want to give in to my cravings because Satan tries to make me believe that I will never be free from this struggle. But I can be victorious even when the distance between my present reality and my desired goal seems so far apart. By setting mini-goals and achieving them, I can have moments of victory each day. Each day I abstain from bingeing is a day of victory. Each time I resist the temptation to eat more than I should is a moment of victory. Each time I turn to God rather than food is a time of victory.

"We will always be the most victorious when we are in the center of God's will. When we are in God's will, we are able to see our trials from God's perspective -- through the lens of HIs grace and truth" (Terkeurst, 2011).

So what is God's will? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks...for this is God's will. To be in the center of God's will means I am to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful in all circumstances. These are all things I need to work on. This semester, I have allowed stress and discouragement to rob me of my joy. "Joy is a choice we make, not a feeling we hope to get from our circumstances" (Terkeurst, 2011). I can make the choice to be joyful in any circumstance because my joy is found in Christ and His salvation. Even through difficult times, I need to make the choice to be joyful. Being more prayerful is one thing I am working on. Prayer is so important, especially to defeat my battle with food. Not only do I need to set aside time to pray, I need to pray throughout the day and anytime I am faced with a choice and especially when I face temptation. I also need to remember to be thankful. Even in hard times, there are always things to be thankful for, and I need to choose to focus on those things rather than the circumstances in my life.

Be joyful, prayerful, and thankful. This is God's will. And when I am in God's will, I can experience victory, one small step at a time.