I have a confession: I really like to win! Whether it’s at sports, a board game, or—unfortunately—a disagreement, my competitiveness comes to the fore and I have to try to come out on top. No game is too simple for me when it comes to trying to develop an edge. I’ve even devised (mostly pointless!) strategies for Snakes and Ladders or Go Fish.
I also love to hear or read about people who are “winners” in particular fields or situations—doctors who make important advances in medicine, inventors who think of something no one else has, leaders who find solutions to seemingly intractable problems, sports teams who triumph despite the odds …
There are countless websites, books, articles, motivational speakers, etc., who promise to help you “unlock your potential” and get on the winner’s lane. God’s Word also talks about improvement, growth, development, and being a winner: “Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ.” 1
Of course, winning in God’s eyes is very different from the kind of winning society at large promotes. God measures wins by a whole different set of rules. In the game of life, we score points by letting Jesus express Himself through our actions and words, by playing with character and commitment, by doing our best with whatever gifts and tasks He has given us, and by loving those He has put in our path.
Most importantly, in the eyes of our loving Father, we are already winners, even if we may not see ourselves that way: “You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory.” 2
See you on the podium!