I attended a “Supermodel” Women’s conference in Killeen, Texas at Destiny World Outreach Center back in August of this year. The conference lasted four days and featured several great women of God. But the one who stood out most to me was Pastor Bridget Hilliard. Prior to the conference I had never heard of her. She is the First Lady at the New Light Christian Center Church in Houston, TX. She was energetic and when she finished the ladies were highly motivated!
The title of her message was “Strategies for Winning During Tough Times.” I think everyone would benefit from this message because everyone faces tough times at some point during their lives’ journey. This year marks big changes in my life so it is important that I react to those changes in a spiritual manner. Nourishing the spirit is an important part of being able to keep your mind and body in balance and in tune with God’s will for your life.
The understanding I have from her message was that nothing is as it seems so we should give thanks for where we are now. If we remember the promise God made, then we know that no matter what it seems like, we will “always win” in the end.
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
Psalms 37:16-17
There are several strategies required for winning during tough times. Some of them are:
- Commit to a righteous lifestyle
- Maximize your connection to your resources
- Manifest the courage for remembering
This means committing to not only reading God’s word, but putting into action what you learn. One of our resources is “sowing seeds” which is paying our tithes and offerings cheerfully. The Bible is another resource because it is a guide on how we should live life. And we have to remember the “miracles” God has performed in our lives when we are facing trials and tribulations.
Maybe you or a loved one has gotten behind the wheel while intoxicated and wondered how you made it home that night without a scratch on you or your car (I wouldn’t keep taking that risk going forward if I were you). Or maybe you can recall when you were ill and somehow your medical situation was corrected without having to have surgery. These are the kind of miracles we need to remember when facing layoffs and other major changes in our lives.
Speak life into situations. When I find myself being challenged, I always go back to the night I heard Pastor Hilliard speak and I smile and declare, “I always win!” This empowers me to some degree and serves as a reminder that I may not know the outcome of my situation at the moment, but as long as I stay committed, God has assured me of triumphing at the end.
Pastor Hilliard has written several books and if she puts as much passion into her books as she does into her teachings, I have no doubt they will be very informative and encouraging. There is actually one I plan on purchasing in the near future and the name of it is “What Does it Take to Win.” I think her message at the conference was taken from this book. For those interested in spiritual growth, check out her bookstore on the following site:
