Victory Loves Preparation

The title of this entry is the only "moral of the story" in The Mechanic. There was nothing redemptive about the movie; you were never sure who you wanted dead. The movie is about a hitman, and long story short his mentor's motto was "Victory Loves Preparation." The movie ends with the other main character dying after he kills the hitman because the hitman had left a booby trap; ergo, victory loves preparation. Stupid movie, but an interesting moral none the less.

I gave the sermon to the Jr Highers at my church this Sunday, and learned an interesting lesson. The sermon was on three chapters of Romans, which is a meaty book to begin with and then try three chapters at once. I was stressing all weekend because I lost in direction on how to compose my talk. I had a million different ideas on what I could talk about, but I had to keep coming back to one line, "We all need a Savior."

Thank God for thesis because without them I would be a rabbit trail prone mess. Thesis are not enough, however, when preparing for the sermon I think I got caught up in pride. The worse part was that I did not even know it until half way through giving my sermon. In my preparation I had an incorrect view of what victory meant.

I knew something was wrong when I first got up because I choked. I had nothing to say. Nothing came to mind. I was blank and stuttering trying to find some words, any words that made sense. I sounded like a drunk; slurred and incorrectly pronouncing every word. And of course as I got more nervous from sucking, I sucked even more. I finally slowed down, got my bearings, and started to make sense for the rest of the talk.

I started thinking. Why? I though I had prepared well enough. Then I realized I had forgotten to pray before I started talking. Then because of that I started thinking more and realized I had wrongly prepared. I had prepared for a victory as a speaker, not victory in God speaking through me. The stupid part is that I am not a good speaker, I frickin suck at even having a normal conversation. I can't pronounce words to save me life, and forget what I'm saying mid-sentence over half the time. My personal verses are Exodus 4:11-12 where God tells Moses that He will teach him what to say. These are mine because I need God to speak through me because my tongue does not work on its own.

I need not worry about preparing a good talk because a talk on its own is dead. I need to be preparing my heart and learning God's word, so that He will speak through me. My victory is in the Holy Spirit reaching the kids where they are in life. When I am worried about how I sound or how to be entertaining, I place myself at the focus of the preparation. The preparation should, however, be focused on knowing God and surrendering to His Words. Victory loves preparations, but only if you are correctly preparing for the right victory.

My God I ask for forgiveness for my pride. I pray that I will focus on Your victory, not the victory man holds dear. May I be but a vessel for Your Spirit. Keep me focused on growing closer to You and walking in Your ways. May I be a new creation in Your Son's blood, and may I spread Your love to others. I pray to be known by love and truth, may my life entirely point towards You. You are my God and I am yours. Forget me not and continue Your feverish pursuit of me, Your beloved.