What it Takes to Win in Life
Series: The Winning Way
31. “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.
32. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me.”
33. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. “
What does it mean to Win?
If you ask an athlete what winning means to them, they will tell you about a strategy to score or to come out ahead of an opponent. If you ask an actor or Broadway performer, they will relate winning to awards, trophies, and recognition on the stage. A business person would give you even another picture of winning in terms of profit margins, return on investment, and successful outcomes from business operations. All these would be true to a certain extent, but all of them are temporary in nature and have no lasting value when it comes to eternity.
So the problem with defining winning on earthly terms is that it is usually short lived. Someone with a little more energy, a better strategy, or some other factor will sooner or later be crowned the winner or champion. Then, as time goes on, that crown will be given to someone else. So we need to understand winning in eternal terms. Let me give you something that is common to winning and will last a little longer than the trophy.
First, winning is knowing that there is a goal worth reaching. If someone is not aware of the goal in life, achievement really doesn’t have much meaning. For this very reason, there are many who are living pointless lives because they don’t really know what the goal is. Materialism will not make you happy. Popularity will not make you complete either. Many of the other goals that people set for happiness are turning out to be empty efforts that result in greater misery. When people find the true goal in life, they will also discover that God Almighty is at the center of everything. John 14:6 bears this out as Jesus proclaimed that He is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. Believers wake up every day to the realization that their goal in life is to please God and in that they find satisfaction.
Second, winning means an accomplishment that takes time and effort. By following the plan, the person who set out to win was finally recognized for their achievement. No one can take that moment away from that person. Even if someone else gets the crown later, the accomplishment is well worth it.
Third, winning is all about development. Even for those individuals who compete and never quite get to the winner’s circle, they develop what is known as a “winning attitude.” While the folks in these ranks would love to have a plaque, a trophy, or some monetary recognition, they are satisfied with being able to participate in something worthwhile. For those who have joined the ranks of Faith in Christ, our winning is not about being better, smarter, cuter, or wealthier than other believers. It is about being among those who love Jesus and have committed their lives to something greater than themselves. We are serving the Lord Jesus and that is really the focus of winning in life.
What Jesus Meant by Winning
Some skeptics would ask, “did Jesus win?” Considering the circumstances of His pending death on the Cross, many would conclude that everything ended in defeat when Jesus was nailed to the tree. That is, if you see it man’s way. However the Resurrection tells a different outcome. Had Jesus not gone to the Cross, you and I would be still in our sins and transgressions. His death was necessary for our pardon. But the story does not end with His death; Jesus assured the Disciples that He had overcome the world. Everything and anything the world could throw at Him and upon Him was carried out, yet Jesus arose triumphant over every obstacle. Hallelujah!
Let me show you several things about what Jesus meant by winning. First, our Lord was telling them before any of the events had taken place. His confidence was not in the ability of the Disciples to hold on and stay close to Him. Jesus’ confidence was in the fact that God’s Plan can never fail. A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me.” Discovering the winning way must be built on a confidence that will not fade with time nor ever depend on human ability. The winning way is a result of believing that God’s Plan can never ever fail.
As frail humans, we are easily frightened by change and conflict. We scatter like chickens when a hawk appears. Our reaction to the threats of life is that we run and hide and hope the problem goes away. We love to tell ourselves that everything gets better over time. No it does not. Things get worse with time unless they are dealt with. Our biggest problem is that we don’t have a plan. Thanks be to God that He gives us an infallible plan that will bring us to victory. God had planned for Jesus to win. Yes, He would bear the sin of the world and would be rejected momentarily as the Atoning Sacrifice. Yet, the Father would not suffer His Holy One to see corruption after He was made an offering for sin but would raise Him back to life according to His eternal Promise. Jesus knew that.
Jesus also shared something else about winning that is critical to our success in life. We must never feel that we are abandoned by God. I call this the Essence of God’s Presence. Simply put, God will always be with you. Even when we have failed the Lord and turned our back on Him, God will not abandon us. Jesus made an irrevocable promise in Matthew 28:20, I Am with you always.
God’s Peace is stronger than all worldly conflict. I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. God’s Presence brings peace as God gives His peace in every situation and circumstance. For the Disciples, the next three days of their lives was going to be filled with confusion, the pain of loss, feelings of emptiness, but they were still covered. Jesus let them know that He had already overcome the world. Notice, He did not say, “I will overcome the world;” He said, “I have overcome the world.”
Those same confessions work today. When we remind ourselves that God Plan can never fail, it automatically invites the Peace of God to fill our lives. We have God’s Plan working for us and we have God’s Presence with us. As if these were not enough, Jesus gave something else that causes the believer to win in life. While it is not stated in the text, it is verified by the Scripture. The Lord did not give this information to the Disciples after His suffering and death. He gave this information prior to any of the events ever taking place. When we walk with the Lord, I believe God warns us of pending danger ahead of time. I don’t believe that God will allow life to slip one over on us.
Thanks to developments in weather forecasting technology, meteorologists and climatologist are able to issue advanced warnings of inclement weather. They may not be able to pinpoint the exact time or place, but they provide helpful information to regions that can minimize the damage to life and property. That’s wonderful! Even more wonderful is the fact that God always knows what is ahead. Jesus had warned the Disciples many times that He was going to be arrested, mocked by the mob, condemned by the religious leaders, and crucified by the Romans. In this final warning the night before His crucifixion, Jesus added something to the warning: “I have overcome the world.” Having that confidence in our life is really the capstone of the winning way. Whenever God gives us warnings about the future, that is proof that He loves us and has everything under control. It still means we must face the challenge but at the same times it gives us complete confidence that the Hand of the Lord will be upon our lives every step of the way. That is Good News.
So, let’s apply the text to discovering the winning way in life. What are some of the things that you and I should remember? First, remember that God is in control of every situation. His Plan is in place. Normally we don’t know God’s Plan, so therefore we may have difficulty accepting God’s Will. That is where prayer comes in. Every believer should pray to understand how to respond to the situation. By studying God’s Word, we will also find that God will warn you of certain things and instruct you how to move forward so that you will honor Him. The role of the Holy Spirit is to guide the Believer into all truth and to bring the Commands of Christ to the forefront in our lives. In other words, God will reveal how we are to live through the situation in a way that brings Him Glory.
The wonderful thing that happens as you develop a winning attitude in life is that you will enjoy God’s Peace. The Lord will manifest His peace in the Believer’s life. The presence of Peace does not mean that life will always be easy. What it does mean is that you will be able to endure. We have Jesus Promise, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.” All of these provisions point to one thing: God is with you and will always be with you. What a wonderful way to live life as a winner! Amen.