How to Become the Winner Every Day
Inside: I dislike making all these mistakes. Sometimes I wish someone else could just pick me up by my bootstraps and do the hard work for me. Learn how to become the winner in God every day.
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The first summer after we moved, my son, Noah joined the recreation department’s baseball team. All summer long we drove to games and practices. He lost every.single.game. Noah would brush himself off, and try again the next practice or game.
Then football season began. Guess what, he lost every single game.
Fast forward through another year, and the same fate for every sport that he was involved in.
After all that losing, you would have thought that his desire to go out for sports would have waned, and he would be bitter and just plain old grumpy.
I fall down and lose many times. Some days it seems like I lose all day long.
Losing Every Day
I say the wrong thing to a friend.
The school calls me because one of my kids did something bad.
I hurt my husband’s feelings.
I miss the mark all day long. But instead of brushing myself off ready to tackle the day again, I get grumpy.
I wallow in my own self-pity.
I tell myself I’m too tired.
Life is too hard.
I dislike making all these mistakes. Sometimes I wish someone else could just pick me up by my bootstraps, and do the hard work for me. It’s easier to blame others when I feel like I’m not winning.
The Winner Leans on God
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made a mistake that cost them the life of perfection. Because of this mess-up, they no longer lived in the Garden where things were provided for them.
They could have become bitter or wallowed in their mud pit of self-pity.
Adam and Eve chose to lean on God every day. With God, they could overcome the days when they would fall down and make mistakes.
Since the biggest Fall, God has been providing grace and mercy continually. He sent Jesus so I can make mistakes, but He has forgiven and wiped my sin-slate clean.
Every day, every sin wiped away.
(Lamentations 3:22-23, NLT).
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
God wants me to lean into Him. He’s the only one that can help lift me up by my bootstraps and give me a fresh mindset to begin anew.
Even though Noah didn’t win all those games, I believe that he does have a winner’s mindset. He plays hard, gives his all and every day starts anew.
When you win all the time it’s not a challenge.
True winning is when you overcome your losses. When you try again over and over and finally experience a win.
“When you win, you don’t examine it very much, except to congratulate yourself. You easily, and wrongly, assume it has something to do with your rare qualities as a person. But winning only measures how hard you’ve worked and how physically talented you are; it doesn’t particularly define you beyond those characteristics.
Losing on the other hand, really does say something about who you are. Among other things it measures are: do you blame others, or do you own the loss? Do you analyze your failure, or just complain about bad luck?
If you’re willing to examine failure, and to look not just at your outward physical performance, but your internal workings, too, losing can be valuable. How you behave in those moments can perhaps be more self-defining than winning could ever be. Sometimes losing shows you for who you really are.”
― Lance Armstrong, Every Second Counts
This right here is so good > “True winning is when you overcome your losses.” Amen! A wonderful way to start my week!
Thanks Joanne for stopping by!
I’m thankful He picks us up. A time when I failed was when I neglected my health, family, time with God (for the right reasons) to…blog. Next thing I knew God had allowed me to reap what I’d sowed. My health knocked me off the grid for 3 years. I learned a lot in that time. It’s not just about what God writes through me now. I’ve learned to cheer others on, too.
Yes Kelly so true! We can encourage others because of what we have experienced. God is so smart!
Thanks for stopping by!
Julie
I love the analogy you shared about your son. I can totally relate to the whole ‘losing season’ thing! What an awesome picture of how we need to approach our lives in Christ. Great post!
Thanks Kristine!
Have a great day!
Julie
My daughter has had a similar experience as your son. I sometimes wonder how she goes back and continues trying with all those losses. But like your son, she does. It’s a good testimony when related to faith. God is faithful; even in the losses there are victories to be had. Enjoyed the visit today via #testimonyTuesday.
Thanks Kristy for stopping by!
Julie
Julie, I really needed to hear this today! It was just one of those days where I felt like my best wasn’t enough. The way I responded was just as you described, downcast and despondent, about to lose all hope. But you’re right, it all starts and ends with Christ. He is the One who will help me get up over and over again. He is able to help me stand!
Thanks for these wise words.
By the way, kudos to Noah for being such a great example of perseverance!
Marva | sunSPARKLEshine
Marva- I’m so glad that my post was encouraging to you! To God be the glory!
Julie
This is so wonderful & encouraging! We all have days when we “wallow” and count our losses, but thank God that he counts each of us as winners, no matter what we may go through!
Keisha- Winners because of Christ!
Sometimes I want to give up because I think that just because something is taking awhile to happen, I’m losing. Which is not the case—it is merely taking time do that I develop perseverance.
Thank you for this!
Taylor- I don’t like waiting either, but perseverance and character are developed while we wait!
This is an encouraging post! Failure doesn’t have to be the end of us. Like you said, Jesus wipes our sin-slate clean and gives us a chance for a new beginning. Thankful for grace!
Leigh- I’m thankful for grace too!
How you lose defines who you are. I love that. I get up and have hope for the future.
Susan- Yes, God promises to give us a good future!
If I had a dollar for every time I put my foot in my mouth… Thank you for reminding me that it isn’t the end of the world!
Alice- we are all work-in-progress women!
“God wants me to lean into Him. He’s the only one that can help lift me up by my bootstraps and give me a fresh mindset to begin anew.“ amen
Indeed the real winning lies in overcoming challenges
Ann- Yes, real winning is getting back up again for the first time or the hundredth time!
I fail every day! There is always something I could have done better. Words said wrong or left unspoken. We weren’t created for perfection. Even for one day. I try to remind myself that God knows and expects my imperfections and still calls me to help people anyway. Hopefully I don’t fail in the same way multiple times but over mess ups are bound to take place.
Melissa- It’s a blessing He calls you to help His children who are hurting!
MJ- I’m a recovering perfectionist! I’m learning that failing is more helpful and teaches me more than anything else!