Winning the War

 The other day, I watched John Wayne's version of the Alamo. I thought as I viewed the movie, that here was a situation where a battle was lost, but the war was eventually won.

 How often in our lives, we lose battles. We give in to a weakness, a temptation, or a desire and we feel guilty and defeated. Life is not fought m a single battle, but a series of conflicts. Everyone is susceptible to giving in, no one, no matter how strong they be, is free from a weakness. That frailty can be exploited by his/her enemy It is not uncommon to hear or read of someone who has some position of notoriety, fall from their lofty position because they lost a battle.

 I have lost my share of conflicts, but giving up is not an option. God is not a God who casts out the person who stumbles. There are some who have this view of Him, but Jesus pointed out in numerous cases, that God is forgiving. He is not concerned about the momentary lapse, but rather how we do over the long haul. Don't be discouraged because you lost a battle, the war is not over yet.

Norman Russell