How To Win Everytime
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Abraham Lincoln -
Was a wood spliter
he worked in the woods
he was a very big man at 6 foot 6
he was tremendously strong and he could be anyone in his state in wrestling.
he was very famous for being able to cut down trees fast
he was asked one time that if he had to cut down very very big oak tree what his strategy would be and he had 5 hours to do it
he said he would spend 4 hours sharpening the axe.
That is a metaphor for life. When we work on perfecting our spiritual condition we become much more effective human beings. Making it to church every week sharpens our axe and makes us more effective Christians and we grow spiritually which is required to really grow in the rest of our life and whatever it is we are trying to accomplish or be. Our spiritual life should be first and the most important part of who we are.
We all want to be winners. I’d say that’s true about most everybody. Really, who in her right mind wants to lose? I’m convinced God has wired us to want to win in life.
First of all winners are born. Winners are those who are born again and have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them.
God is a winner and wins every time. He put His DNA and the Holy Spirit in us as His child which means that you are programmed to win.
Greater is He that is in you than He that is in this world.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
If God is for you who can be against you?
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Say I can instead of I can’t
Christ = anointed one and His anointing
All things are possible to him that believeth
23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Its saying that if you that believe that Christ can do for you what you are requesting, then it is possible.
No matter what your situation is, no matter how defeated you appear to be, if you believe that what you are praying to God for is possible, then to you it is possible.
Replace doubt with belief
instead of saying its impossible say God is able
replace fear with faith and confidence
Winning requires more than a desire to win. It requires more than positive thinking. Its about having a winning attitude. Its being determined and remaining focused on the prize.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
1) He is saying be determined to win! Run as if there is only going to be one winner and we are determined to be that winner.
Winners become winners because they first are determined to be winners.
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Strive to master what you are looking to win at. Watch those who play football on TV. One of the reasons they draw and electrify a crowd is because they have mastered what they do.
To get there we must have self control in all things. We must endure the hard road to our goals with much patience and persistence. Discipline. Must put in the work.
Life of a college football player:
You see they do what they do to receive a perishable prize. We are Christians and we do it to receive something that will last forever!!!!
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
Remain focused. We must maintain some sense of purpose in life. Paul talks about this in terms of a boxer. In order for him to hit his target, as opposed to missing his target and beating the air (verse 26), he has to remain focused on his opponent.
We must do the same in life. We need a clear purpose, and we must focus our energies toward that purpose. No one can be a winner going through life aimlessly.
And make sure your purpose is His purpose. My daughter is going to grow up hearing you can become anything that God has called you to become. Not anything you want to become.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Paul talks about the possibility of his preaching and winning others to Christ while at the same time himself becoming a castaway! What he is talking about is being disqualified.
Think of all those who competed that would have recieved a record breaking season that ended up disqualified because they didn’t play by the rules.
Or the fallen church Pastors from sexual abuse : Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swagart, or more recent Bill Hybels, Carl Lentz and Brian Houston of Hillsong, Mike Bickle of IHOP, Robert Morris of Gateway church and Gateway worship.
There are some people who will do anything to get ahead in life and to realize their dream, but God never regards cheaters as winners.
Notice the verbs used in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: run, self control or perseverance, fight, etc. Winning is not happenstance.
Example if you want to become a great teacher, wife or husband, father or mother, salesman, business owner, or whatever you set your hands to do and to be:
Remain focused on mastering whatever your goal is, play by the rules, believe that you can do all things through Christ, that all things are possible because you believe, know that God is with you and for you, that God in you is greater than any discouragement that can be thrown your way. And you will become a great in the Kingdom and what God has for you.
These concepts will work for you. But Paul’s focus in the epistle is on our walk with the Lord and our service to Him. That’s where we are being challenged to implement the principles above. They will make us winners in our walk with the Lord. In turn our winner’s attitude will spill over into every other aspect of our life. More importantly, our trophy will be an incorruptible crown that only the Lord can give.