How to Win Big

I love winning.

I don’t mean the sneak it by the skin of your teeth win.

I mean I love winning big. I love watching my team destroy the opponent. I love it when they run up the score. I love it when they remain aggressive throughout the game.

But mostly I love it when I get to that place in the game when I know that victory is certain.

Forget about the nail biting, sit on the edge of your seat, heart racing, spine tingling, not sure til the last second kind of victory.

I want to win and I want to win big.

All right, so maybe I’m a little hyper competitive (or what some of you may call crazy), but the truth is that we all like to win. If you’re in business, you want to make a profit. If you’re in love you want to tie the knot. If you’re a writer you want to publish the great American novel.

And if you’re a Christian, you want the enemy utterly convincingly completely and totally destroyed.

But we don’t always feel like winners in the Christian life. Some days we feel like we’re barely surviving. Other days we feel like we’re completely losing. Habits we thought were conquered come back to haunt us when we least expect them. Dreams we long thought surrendered sneak up on us and trip us. The God we thought was for us seems further and quieter than we ever imagined possible.

Victory is the last thing on our minds as we face yet another week full of real life challenges.

The apostle Paul was no stranger to challenges. But Paul had a different perspective than most of us do. In I Corinthians 9:24-27 and in II Timothy 4:7 he compared the Christian life to a race, and from these passages, I’d like to give you Four Principles for Winning Big.

1. Keep the Goal in Mind. In I Corinthians 9:24 Paul says “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.” He re emphasizes that point in vs. 26 when he says “so I do not run aimlessly”. Christian, have you lost sight of our common goal? We are not living to “be happy”. Our goal is not to gain earthly success or a bigger house. We are after an imperishable crown, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our aim is heavenly. Christ’s appearing is near. Don’t forget it.

2. Develop Uncommon Discipline. I’m all about discipline and that’s a good thing because I need it. I know you do too. Discipline is not a natural thing that you and I are born with. Even as I’m writing this post, my flesh wants to watch the Packers pounce on the raiders but that won’t get me anywhere. Even Paul had to learn discipline. He says in vs.27 “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. You will never find a serious athlete who has not learned that hard work and long hours are necessary for victory. How are you doing in the area of discipline, Christian?

3. Don’t Give up the Faith. You may think I’m beginning to sound a little bit like Tim Tebow, but Paul gets first dibs on this principle. In II Timothy 4:7 Paul reaches the end of his life and says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” I love my pastor James Macdonald’s definition of faith. He says that faith is believing God’s word and acting on it no matter how you feel knowing that God promises a good result. Are you trusting God’s word despite what you’re going through? Are you believing God when the chips are down? Faith is not an option in the Christian life. Faith is the Christian life!

4. Finish Well. It’s not how you start but how you finish. That’s not a cliche, it’s the truth. After a lifetime of giving himself to others and living for the glory of God, Paul ends his writings with this statement: “I have finished the race”. He didn’t become disqualified. He persevered to the end. Learn the lesson from Paul. Be strong. Finish well.

Your life may not feel like a blow out victory right now, but some day you will see the truth with heavenly eyes.

Jesus Christ has already won the victory – and trust me, it’s a blow out win!

Related posts: