By: Elizabeth Haarberg

Position

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

Depending on church denomination, suffering and victory can be at odds. Some believe that suffering is “the cross we bear” to share in the struggle and pain of Jesus. Others believe that victory is ours because Jesus was resurrected and sits at the right hand of the Father, therefore victory is always available. So who’s right? When I say both are correct, it isn’t a move to appease each side; it truly is possible to live victorious in the suffering and understand that one depends on the other.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV

“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,” Romans 5:3 ESV

Suffering or victory can be experienced simultaneously, in particular, victory can be experienced while suffering. To have a victory, there needs to be a struggle, a battle, fought. The two go hand in hand.

What does victory look like? Healing, wholeness, peace, patience, joy, wealth.

How do we experience victory in the suffering?

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ.” Philippians 4:7 ESV

We can experience the victory of Jesus’ resurrection through the peace that the Holy Spirit gives us. Don’t stop asking for peace until you are able to receive the peace that only God gives. If you lose the peace you are given, pray until it lands on you again.

God wants us to experience Him in the positive and negative aspects of life. It really is up to us to receive the peace that He is always offering. He is giving us the message continuously in the Bible about how to live a victorious life, regardless of what we’re facing. But it is up to us to participate in the execution of that type of life. We always have a choice to live in a place of peace…or not.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado