God's Folks

It is a true assessment that no one loves the idea of being defeated, at least no one in a competent state of mind. Now if one is saddened by defeat, it becomes an amazing spectacle, to see one defeat themselves. I’m persuaded to think that God never intend for man to be fun of the idea of pain, but somehow, some people in this life have created within themselves a high tolerance for hurt. Now astonishing as that idea is, it’s even more devastating to see the people of God affect themselves with this disease called "self defeat." Now if you think that the word disease is too strong a word to use here then consider the following idea:

Disease is defined as a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms. In other words, when someone or something has a disease there will be evidence of the disease seen in that person or thing. Now in like manner, when those who have confessed their faith in Jesus, allow themselves to be defeated by the ills of this life, then there will be evidence of that defeat seen in that person. What makes the self-defeat of a Christian so closely related to a disease is the fact that a disease breaks down the nature and normal order of a Christian and the defeat is visibly seen by all. The normal and natural order of a Christian is that we are victorious.  "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(I Cor. 15: 57)" Another allegory to this idea is that self-defeat is contagious, just as most diseases. Thus that old saying, "misery loves company." Most of the time when one has defeated themselves, they will most likely want to bring someone else into their pity party and not only that, but they would even dare to bring down the whole house, you know that one bad apple thing.

When I consider the thought of a child of God giving up, giving in to defeat, I often wonder what is on the mind of God, as He looks down on his children and see so many of them living beneath their potential. Potential is defined as having the capacity to develop into something in the future., qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness. Since God has put potential in each of us, I wonder if He is gnashing His teeth at the fact that some of His children are not allowing themselves to see the possibilities of a prosperous, plentiful, and productive life that ALL of His children can have. I even now wonder, do some of us in the Lord’s church believe in the eternal Godhead’s ability. I say that because if we truly believe, then the question becomes why do some of us continue to struggle day after day.  Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not just speaking of finances, but defeat as a whole. Whether it’s financial, emotional, spiritual, or domestic, all of us in the house of God should be able to show some evidence that God can and will take care of His own. If the majority of the saints who have been washed in the blood of the lamb continue to struggle, then how could we convince anybody else that they need to be a Christian. God’s folks must realize that we cannot continue in self-defeat. The same truth that David spoke in Ps 37 : 25, still holds to this day in the 21^st century. 

 (Read Joshua 2 : 1 - 11)

Now watch the self-defeating aspect of this passage as it relates to God’s Folks, Israel. Forty year earlier Moses, in Numbers 13 : 1 - 2, was command by God to send spies down to the land of Canaan to spy out the land. Once the spies went down and saw the inhabitants and saw that there were giants in the land, they became discouraged and in the mist of their discouragement watch what happened next and notice how the affection spread through out all the camp of God’s people. Numbers 13 : 31 - 33: But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants(the descendants of Anak came from the giants); "and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Now watch this, all the inhabitants in Canaan had already heard about Israel and their God according to Rahab in Joshua 2 : 10 -11. It turns out that had Israel went into Canaan, despite the large inhabitants, when Moses had sent the spies to spy out the land, they could have easily taken what God had already given to them(Numbers 13: 2). They had the victory, but they defeated themselves. Rahab said that, " And as soon as we heard these things, out hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD you God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." Now if that isn’t profound enough, then look at it from this light. By the time these spies come over and converse with Rahab it is forty years later. Forty years ago, God’s folks could have been in a place better than the one they were in.

Israel couldn’t fully conceive that they were God’s Property, nor that they could have had a Greater Position. They couldn’t Grasp the Possibilities, because of their Grasshopper Personality.