3 Mindset Hacks to Help You Win the Prize!

Hebrews 10:32-

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of you property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Minset Hack #1---

REMEMBER YOUR 'WHY'-

I love how the author of Hebrews starts by telling us to "remember". He doesn't ask us to...there is no question mark...he TELLS us to remember!

*"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering."---don't forget how you were called to this. When they remembered, it was easier to stand in the contest, no matter what they suffered. When we forget, we feel weak against the blows we receive.

*Remember how--"Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,..." They were on a mission, had a purpose and stayed focused to it. It didn't matter that they were humiliated in public or had their stuff taken because they were firmly grounded in their 'WHY', and....They had a community that helped and supported each other in their mission...such an important ingredient!

Takeaway---

Remember when you were called to this. What did you hear, believe, know in your heart?...Don't assume that just because you are feeling the blows now, that you are in the wrong place. Most likely you are in the right place but you just lost your focus.

Mindset Hack #2---

DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE-

Its so great how the verse says, "So don't throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

*According to this verse (and if we are wise, we will agree!), confidence is something we can keep or throw away at will. It would appear that it's a choice we make. Where is your confidence right now? What have you done with it?

*It is within our choice what we are keeping close to us...doubt, lies, fear...or CONFIDENCE...but they don't play nicely together, so we have to choose. What messages are you listening to? Do they feed your confidence or throw it away?

*Keep your eyes on the prize! "You need to persevere...(so that) you will receive what he has promised."

1 Corinth. 9:24- "Do you not know that in a a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

Takeaway-

Losing sight of the prize makes the race so hard and meaningless. But if we fix our eyes on the finish, and that trophy God has prepared for us, we suddenly find our second wind and can finish strong!

Mindset Hack #3---

DON'T SHRINK BACK!-

vs. 37-39..."For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay (another peek at the prize!). But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." (says, God). But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."

*So, breaking it down...the author (probably Paul, but we don't know for sure) is quoting the Old Testament where God reminds His people that he is coming back for them---can I get a 'Hallelujah!!!'?

But, he is also warning them that he's not going to be too thrilled with the 'Shrinkers' or the 'Shirkers'. He's looking to reward the ones that persevere. The one's who kept their eyes on the prize and stayed in the fight!

*Gotta love the vote of confidence given to us in the last sentence..."But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." It's like he is saying, 'We are not one of THOSE...!' One of THOSE people who shrink back...THOSE people who lose their focus and give up their prize...

Takeaway-

WE are the 'of those' who believe and are saved!!! WE belong in the group with the winners-HOORAY!

Those our our folk, our peeps, our community, our clan. We belong there because Christ died so that we can belong to that group!

1 Peter 1:3-4, "Praise be to the God and Father or our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or or fade..."

Christ gave us 'new birth', changed our DNA and bought our certificate of authenticity that allows us a place with the winners!

BUT, we have to choose to BELIEVE that is where we belong and not give way to faulty thinking that robs us of our focus...

EYES ON THE PRIZE PEOPLE!!!

With Love, Cathy