Recently, we celebrated Indonesia's Independence Day with great enthusiasm. This moment was celebrated festively by people in various parts of the country, both in urban and rural areas. Even in the land of kangaroos, Australia, we also joyfully and unitedly celebrated Indonesia's independence.
During independence celebrations, we often see various events and competitions held to liven up the atmosphere. Public enthusiasm is immense because, in every competition, prizes are usually available for those who emerge victorious.
However, victory is never obtained effortlessly. A participant must train, prepare, be disciplined, and use the right techniques and strategies. Those who genuinely prepare themselves certainly have a greater chance of achieving victory.
The same applies to our spiritual lives. The Apostle Paul describes the life of a believer like an athlete in a competition.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified."
Paul reminds us that the Christian life is not lived carelessly. Like an athlete who trains with discipline, believers also need to continuously train their spiritual lives.
There is no winner's mentality without discipline.
An athlete does not train only when they feel like it. They continue to train even when their body is tired because they know the goal they want to achieve.
So it is with our spiritual lives. We do not seek God only when we face problems. We build a life with God every day because we realize that this journey of life is a struggle of faith.
God's Word reminds us that we have an enemy who constantly tries to bring us down and weaken our faith. Therefore, our spiritual lives must not be empty or fragile. We must have a strong foundation of faith so that we are not easily shaken by temptation, pressure, or the deceptions of the evil one.
1 John 5:4 "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."
Faith does not mean that our lives will never face problems. Faith means that we continue to trust in God in the midst of problems. Faith keeps us standing when circumstances shake us. Faith keeps us hoping when situations have not changed.
And the foundation of our faith is not our feelings or our own strength, but Jesus Christ who has triumphed over sin and death.
Therefore, like an athlete who carries a winner's mentality, we too must have a spiritual winner's mentality. Do not live the Christian life half-heartedly. Build a substantial spiritual life with a strong foundation in the Lord.
For when our spiritual lives become stronger, our faith will not be easily shaken by circumstances.
We are not striving to gain victory by our own strength. We strive from the victory that Christ has already accomplished for us and become individuals who live with a winner's mentality in Christ.