Winning Isn't Everything, But...

April 1, 2013

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is - Vince Lombardi

Lombardi was an Italian. He didn't put just Green Bay on the map, he put Italian people on the map for something besides being gangsters and thugs. He gave them a reason to lift their heads. They didn't have to hang their heads in the shame of Capone's Chicago; they had Vince Lombardi's Green Bay to give them pride in their people!

Lombardi said that wanting to win is everything. It doesn't appear to be scriptural at first glance but when pondered a bit more deeply, it indeed is. The Word admonishes us to step from the ash heap of despair to the beauty of salvation --Jesus gives us “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness!” (Isaiah 61:3)

God doesn't want us to wallow in the burnt-out embers of our past. His Word says, “Forgetting those things that are behind…I press toward the high calling of Jesus,” Philippians 3:13, 14. He wants us to step into the beauty of our future.

God wants us to be winners! God doesn't want us to mourn our past failures and foibles and sins. Nor does God want us to wear the ragged robes of our own goodness. He wants to clothe us in the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness. Yes, He wants us to be winners!

Jesus has made us realize we don't have to walk the dark Avenue of Losers. He has invited us to be partakers with the redeemed of Christ who walk in the light of His righteousness in the spiritual realm (See I John 1:7). Jesus says we are winners in the game of life. He tells us we don't need to EVER content ourselves with the dregs of human experience! We can have the best life has to offer.

Life's BEST, for time and eternity, is what Jesus holds out to us. We are winners because HE has already conquered death, hell and the grave in our behalf! (Hosea 13:14; Romans 8:37) We are winners because we are destined to rule and reign with Him (II Timothy 2:12). We are winners because HE IS THE WORLD'S ULTIMATE WINNER--and HE SAYS THAT ALL HE HAS IS OURS!