Bible Study: Overcoming

Recently while reading some passages in Revelation, I was struck by how often Jesus Christ uses the word "overcome." I thought it would be worthwhile to examine these passages more closely; especially given my present struggles, which I've mentioned here and in Letters to God.

First of all, there is the word overcome. It signifies that trouble, hardship, and the like are normal in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. He himself said, in John 16:33

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

We are guaranteed that we will have troubles during our lifetime; our focus, therefore, needs to be on overcoming these things as we journey homeward.

Secondly, I'm encouraged by what Jesus Christ says will happen to those who overcome, which I've included in the list below. I've emphasized the words signifying the promise to those who overcome.

• "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7)."
• "He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death (Revelation 2:11)."
• "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it (Revelation 2:17)."
• "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--
  'He will rule them with an iron scepter;
  he will dash them to pieces like pottery'--
  just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star (Revelation 2:26-28)."
• "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels (Revelation 3:5)."
• "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name (Revelation 3:12)."
• "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne (Revelation 3:21)."
• "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son (Revelation 21:7)."

I don't claim to know all the answers with respect to the symbolism in Revelation, but everything here sounds wonderful, and it encourages me to keep on going.

I'm reminded of Dory's conversation with Marlin, in the movie Finding Nemo:

Dory: Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do?
Marlin: No I don't wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Marlin: Dory, no singing.
Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho! I love so swim. When you want to swim you want to swim!
Marlin: Now I'm stuck with that song!. Now it's in my head!

That's what we need to do, even though we don't know exactly where we're heading in the near future. Just keep swimming.

Lastly, I'm reminded of this quotation, which I found only recently:

"A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective." -- André Gide