Have You Activated Your Cheat Code?

🥊Going through it? Just know you are fighting from victory and not for it! 

🥊God’s favor is our cheat code.

🥊I’m old enough to have played an old-school video game called Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out.

🥊Obviously, it was a boxing game, and with each match won, the next match was more challenging. 

🥊In the first match against Glass Joe, everyone won. Like most kids my age, I spent a lot of time playing Punch-Out, and I have never seen anyone lose to Glass Joe. 

🥊As you advanced, however, there were some fighters that when my friends and I fought them, we played rarely won. 

🥊During the rare times that we could win against the tough opponents on Punch-Out, we’d advance to the title bout against the most feared boxer of all time, Iron Mike Tyson!

🥊No one ever beat Tyson; in fact, no one came close to beating Tyson. So, similar to Tyson in his real matches at the time, we were just happy to make it out of the first round. 

🥊All that changed for my boys and me when word got around school that someone had secured the cheat code to beat Tyson. 

🥊Once the word got out that there was a cheat code, we were willing to risk it all to get the code. If we were late to class or got caught talking in class and got in trouble, securing this cheat code was well worth it because we had no chance to conquer the game without it. 

🥊Once I secured the code, as I played the game, my mindset shifted from playing for victory to playing from victory. With my code, victory was already promised. 

🥊As we navigate through the challenges, mistreatment, darkness, and adversity that living life aggressively presents itself, I want to remind you that we, like me and boys playing Tyson’s Punch-Out, have a cheat code that empowers us to fight and live from victory and not for it.

🙏🏾I pray that you open your hearts and know that you serve the same God who was with His oppressed people of Israel in Isaiah 43. The Lord who created you says this: Don’t be scared. I got you! I know you personally; in fact, I made you; you are mine! I am with you when you are in over your head, and the waters are deep! Your troubles will not overwhelm you. In the midst of a fire, you will not be burned. The most challenging trails can’t break you, and do you know why? Because I am your God. You are precious to me, and I will do whatever is required to save your life simply because you mean that much to me. I know it is a lot to take in, but I, the Lord of the universe, love you that much - so don’t be afraid because I am with you!  

🙏🏾I also pray that you know the power of the Holy Spirit; Jesus gifted you that lies within you is the same spirit that was in Him when He endured and overcame death! This is why it matters not what battle you have to fight. Your victory is already secured, so long as you activate your cheat code. 

📖Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

📖John 14:20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

📖Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

📖Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

📖Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

📖Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

📖Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

- Cheat Code activated!!!