Great Visions require Great Partners with a Great Attitude. There is an attitude that surrounds a critical spirit and it’s easily transferred. After Israel’s leaders spied out the promised land, ten people influenced 3 million not to believe, and God left the whole group to wander around for 40 years.
Get around people of faith; what rubs off is faith, and it’s transferable. The early church were always either going into a crisis or coming out of a crisis, but in every crisis the Holy Spirit gave a solution that brought advancement. They had a God is Greater than...Attitude.
Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Seven Manifestations of a God is Greater than Attitude from the Early Church.
1. There is no wound deep enough to kill us or stop us.
Paul was stoned; it didn’t kill or stop him. Paul didn’t get bitter…he got better (Acts 14:19-20).
2. There is no difference great enough to divide us.
There were doctrinal problems (Acts 15:30-31). They were willing to work them out through being open honest and teachable. They all wanted the mind of Christ not their own way!
3. There is no prison strong enough to contain us.
Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for doing God’s will (Acts 16:25-26). They didn’t start criticizing God, or blaming one another or complaining or asking why did this happen to us? No-they began to sing praises to God, the prisoners heard them and God sent an earthquake into their cell that brought the birthing of the first church in Europe.
4. There is no road long enough to weary us.
They traveled to many places—Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and the Regions of Galatia—on foot, donkeys, camels and boats (Acts 18).
5. There is no devil big enough to scare us away.
There are lots of adversaries here…I think I will stay awhile (see Acts 19:28; 1 Corinthians 16:8-9).
6. There is no red tape sticky enough to bind us.
There were all kinds of governmental problems, jail, court cases and litigation (see Acts 21-26).
7. There is no shipwreck serious enough to sink us.
Paul was shipwrecked, but all 276 people on the ship were saved (Acts 27:25, 37, 44).
Every one lost hope but Paul, Why? He was a Victory Man—he had faith in a good God and in His Word. These are Victory Attitudes that come from having a Victory Spirit—one that believes the best, looks for the good and is willing to take a risk on people.
These are seven declarations of a Victory Spirit, they could be called our Victory Creed!
Yours for the attitude that gives leaders Victory,
Dr George Hill
President and Founder, VCI
Acknowledgement:
This is an adaptation of a message shared by Brad Dewar about 15 years ago—I have never forgotten it! –Thanks Brad.
