The Language of Defeat
Most of us who have done any personal evangelism have had persons respond, “I could not live the Christian life if I started.”
They know some facts.
a. They know it is easy to sin.
b. They discern it is hard to do right.
c. They realize they have often failed.
However, they have left out some of the most significant facts concerning Christ, the power of the Gospel, and His promises to strengthen, aid and forgive.
They have acted and spoken as if they had all the facts.
Then, they have made assumptions and acted upon them as if the assumptions were facts.
As a result, they were defeated even before they began.
Persons who have been convicted of grievous sin have said, “I have too many strikes against me.”
Whether they were thinking in terms of having been so bad that they could not be forgiven, or whether they thought they had been so bad they could not overcome the sinful habits makes no difference.
The principle behind the language of defeat is what I am trying to emphasize today.
The language of defeat almost invariably has this format:
a. [Something is assumed.]
b. The assumption(s) are spoken of as fact.
c. Action(s) are performed based on those assumptions as if they are facts.
The language of defeat has stopped many evangelistic efforts, forced unnecessary changes, and has led to the demise of many successful happenings.
Let us examine our thoughts, our language, and our actions to see if we are living defeated lives because we think thoughts of defeat, spread the virus to others with the language of defeat, and climax it with lives that are defeated.