Halftime

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12-14

What needs to happen at halftime to be a winner in life?
This Sunday is the Super Bowl.  In the game of football, half time is a time to reflect, regroup, and make a new game plan.  Maybe you have some failures in your past and you are wrapped up in that failure thinking you cannot recover.  That is exactly what Satan wants you to think.  God can take the brokenness of our lives and make it something beautiful.  He can use our failures for His glory. It is time to start new.  Make a game changing plan right now.

·     We Must Recognize Our Position. 

Leaders and losers of the first half need to make adjustments to win the game. God is not so concerned with where you have been or what you have done as He is where you ARE and what you are DOING. All of us have setbacks. We fail. There comes a time when we must move on with life. A part of strategy in going forward must include pulling the curtains on the past.  The poisonous, negative emotions of defeat must be dealt with before future victory can be achieved.

·     We Must Acknowledge our Weaknesses.

Today could be the day that you move beyond blame and excuses and realize that you are responsible for your happiness and the way you live your life. It was not the calls of the referees that cost you the first half. Accepting responsibility places the power to make things different in your hands. As a result, you may be challenged to change ... to do certain things differently than you've always done them. Acknowledging our weakness positions us to receive instruction

·     We Must Listen to the Coach.

Sometimes a proud athlete, child or disciple must be broken before they will listen to instruction. Getting the attention of a player often requires failure on the part of the player.

In the halftime locker room the players who are losing are more attentive to instruction.

You can’t do the same thing and get a different result.  There has to be some changes made.  Listen to the Lord.

·     We Must Discover our Strength.

Fear resides in knowing that we stand in our power and are not capable of handling the task we are facing. Faith consists in understanding that God's promise of victory cannot be denied for it is based in His power and ability, not my own.  All of the things we were so sure of in the first half mean so little in the second half. When God gives the direction, then He also gives the power and provision. Victory is not dependent on me, but God!

For the second half of life to be better than the first, you must make the choice to step outside of the safety of living on auto-pilot. God’s promise still requires our participation to be realized. There is no victory without battle. 

Scripture to Claim:
Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the LORD will stand.  Proverbs 19:20-21