Winning isn't everything Obedience is!

Vince Lombardi Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing

You are a winner. You are a conqueror. God said so! Well done thou good and faithful servant. 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses ( your employer, your customer, your friends, your family and most importantly yourself every day.) I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, I have kept the faith. And now the prize of victory is waiting for me.

"We are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37). The smell of success powerful and sweet. It's fragrance is contagious and captivating. Winning brings joy. Joy is the fragrance that is purchased by obedience. The aroma of winning has compelled and caused men and women to exceed, over throw, conquer, ravage, excel, and overcome.  Winning without God has cost men and women their soul. It can cost your family, sanity,... "gaining the whole world and losing your soul". Who moved the goal line? Can a pursuit without God be fulfilling? Winning without God may mean that your pursuit eventually consumes you. Winning can become your obsession. For the imbalanced boxer, Winning can mean Alzheimer's and "Punch Drunk" syndrome. The monetary greed can countenance (Enron, World Com, Global Crossing and Adelphia) the Enron syndrome, Kingdom building without God can produce "Jim Baker".

God changes the goal line for the believer. Every act of Godly obedience is a winning goal. Winning with God means balance. Balance the heart, head, hands, and habits.  (Click here: The Four Dimensions of Leadership)There are times in Godly obedience when you must be on the right side and lose. Dianne Feinstein: Winning may not be everything, but losing has little to recommend it. Perhaps, Gods call is a call to success. It may be a call to lose by gaining a little more of God. "There is one thing you lack; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven". Who moved the goal line? Simply, balance is summed up in Jesus' statement Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and ... 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.

Winners bet, losers call.  The difference between winners and losers in poker is that winners bet most of the time and losers call most of the time. Winners are able to identify and match the season, pursuit, passion, and ability necessary to win. They are able to do this every year, month, day, hour, minute, second. The season, pursuit, passion, and ability are the characteristics of winners in good times and survivors in hard times. (FBI) Fidelity, Bold initiatives, Integrity,  produce winners. Compatibility, Competency, Character, and Creativity (Click here: Create! Make Stuff Up.) produces winners. 

 

Characteristics of Winners

Grace under Pressure -Focus

Learn From Mistakes -forgive your self and others

Precision- measure --re measure outcomes

No Visions of Grandeur-Humility and know limitations

Eat Pain-consume this pain and persevere

Get Technical-seek a mentor or coach, read, grow, pray

Key Bible Verse: Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands" (Joshua 6:2a). Bonus Reading: Joshua 2:1-3;17, 5:13-6:27

Nike is a company that makes gym shoes. It's also a Greek word that means "winner." Hyper, another Greek word, means "super."

When you put nike and hyper together, you get the word Paul made up to describe who we are by faith in Jesus Christ. He said, "We are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37). Paul defines us as super-winners, slamdunkers. No matter what kind of worn-out old sneakers you've got on, in Christ through faith, we have power.

When brought before Emperor Arcadius, John Chrysostom was threatened with banishment. Chrysostom is said to have replied, "You can't banish me, for this world is my Father's house."

"I'll kill you," said the emperor.

"You can't" said Chrysostom, "for my life is hid with Christ in God."

"I'll take your treasures."

"You can't, for my treasure and my heart are in heaven."

"I'll drive you away and you'll have no friend left."

"You can't separate me from my Friend in heaven."

—John Nunes in Voices from the City and Alan F. Johnson in The Freedom Letter

Personal Challenge:

• How does it change your outlook that you are God's "super-winner"?

Thought to Apply: The devil may be the prince of this world, but the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and He will set up His kingdom and His people will be in charge of it.

— VANCE HAVNER (late North Carolina pastor)

Credits: Adapted from— Wednesday: Voices from the City (Concordia, 1999), The Freedom Letter (Moody Press, Moody Bible Institute, 1974)