Advent ABC's: Overcoming

Are you an over or under achiever? Are you an over or under comer? Okay, I know that you won’t find undercomer in the dictionary—there’s a red squiggly line under it right now as I type. But for the moment let’s pretend there is, because if we can OVERcome then there must be some who UNDERcome.

In John’s first epistle he writes: 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3-5, TNIV)

Gravity is a good thing. It holds onto us and keeps our things in place. It is a little frustrating as I get older that it seems to be pulling things down and I will never understand how the throw rugs move all on their own—but I digress. It also seems that there is another force that pulls us further into this world and it is not good. This force seems able to detect the weakest points of our resolve and character, and draws us into all sorts of evil and destruction. It is this later force that seeks to make us undercomers.

In his final teachings and words to the disciples, Jesus tells them this: 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT) It’s a good verse, but it only implies what I want Jesus to say, nay shout quite clearly: you can be an overcomer, too! But he doesn’t. And why not?

This overcoming business is pretty tricky. I’ve seen in others, and personally experienced in myself, that when I have times of victory they can often go to my head. Truth be told, those victories can sometimes create a Superme attitude. At those times I take on too much and I become “overzealous.” The down side is that I’ve also seen spiritual or moral failure result in “Poor me” syndrome which leads to undercoming.

So I looked again at Jesus’ words as recorded in John, it occurred to me that perhaps I can pack my super cape away. What I really need is to just face each situation, each trial or sorrow, all the good and bad, one by one with Jesus by my side. I will be an overcomer when I come over in faith to him and allow him to guide me each step of the way.