Win, No Matter What

We are all familiar with the Nelson Mandela quote “I never lose. I either win or learn.” We may even quote it when speaking of our own lives. Since learning is also winning, in my mind I’ve changed it to “I never lose. I win, no matter what.”

I think we tend to have a picture of what winning looks like. In my mind winning was all the good stuff that happens. This included the uneventful seasons where nothing amazing is happening, but nothing bad is happening. Defeat, or losing was all the bad stuff that happens.

What I now understand is that there does not have to be such a thing as defeat. This does not mean that everything always goes well. Life is hard. I have pain and disappointment just like everyone else. It just means that whatever it is that comes our way, God is always with us and has equipped us with everything we need to go through it. Therefore, I cannot lose.

I like metaphors, so many lessons in my life have been made more concrete when I visualize a certain scenario. Regarding winning consistently, the image that came to mind was a luxurious hotel. We can call it Victory Hotel.

I started thinking about the cost of a single night at a luxury hotel. It is not cheap. For that reason, we may choose a cheaper place a few blocks away where we can get 7 nights for what 1 night will cost at Victory Hotel. We are still in the same city, but do not have the amazing view or amenities that we would have at Victory Hotel. What many of us do not know or are not willing to pay the cost for is the fact that we can live at Victory Hotel permanently. Many luxury hotels have private residences on their higher floors. You can live there and at the same time enjoy all the amenities that come with temporary hotel stays such as pools, restaurants, gyms, spa services, concierge, housekeeping, and room service. Pretty cool, right? That is where I want to live. I’ll call it The Residences at Victory Hotel.

Walking the path that God has laid for me is somehow easy and difficult at the same time. I do my best to live a completely surrendered life and I do not want to ever live any other way. I want to be clear about the reality of this. I am not living in perfection, but in correction. I pray that any sin in my life comes from a place of ignorance and not willfulness. When it comes from a place of ignorance, it is an opportunity for me to learn and grow by correcting my behavior when I am tested again. I want to pass the test. When it comes from willfulness, I am knowingly trying to manipulate a situation (Get to Victory Hotel) to try and make things happen according to my own will when I feel like God isn’t working fast enough. It either ends up becoming a mess, or it may appear that I got what I wanted, (A few nights at Victory Hotel) but I missed the fact that God had so much more for me. (The option to live permanently in The Residences at Victory Hotel.)

What makes life so difficult is that we must choose over and over to stay on the right path. I see this as the equivalent of a mortgage payment to live in The Residences at Victory Hotel. I must make decisions several times a day to ensure that I am able to live there. There is no such thing as foreclosure at The Residences at Victory Hotel. If I am not living there, it is because I have chosen to leave.

As much as I love metaphors and think they are fun, they can be a bit confusing at times. The bottom line is that if I want to win no matter what, I must walk according to God’s will no matter what. I may never reach perfection, but that will not stop me from trying. Everyone is not going to understand, and some may even attack. I must be willing to let go of anything that is not aligned with God’s will and purpose for my life. When someone has wronged me, I must resist the urge to take it upon myself to pay them for what they have done. When I am faced with tragedy, loss, unexpected health circumstances, or any number of things that life throws our way, I must respond in faith, trusting completely in God. I have a responsibility to study God’s Word and spend time with Him daily; quieting myself enough to hear God and act when He gives me a task to do. In order to win, I must be all in. There is no way around it.

As always, I can only share my own experience about what I’m learning and what God is revealing to me as I walk through life. In sharing, my hope is that it will encourage others in their journey and keep me accountable and encouraged when tough times come.

Below I have shared my most frequently used resources. Hopefully they will be helpful to you as well.

• The Bible – For me, this is the most important and at the same time the most overwhelming resource. To make it less overwhelming, I’ve found it helpful to use other resources to help break things down and simplify it. You need to know for yourself what God says. Many times, we rely solely on pastors to teach God’s Word, but we also have a responsibility to study and understand what God is saying specifically to us about our journey.
• simple bible by Daryl Merrill – This book is special to me for a few reasons. After spending my entire childhood in church and private school, it was not until I attended Christian Life Church in Mt. Prospect, IL that I learned what it meant to be in relationship with God. I grew up with rituals, memorization, and mandatory church attendance. This was not a terrible thing. I am immensely thankful for the foundation that was laid within me to be able to walk out this journey. I cannot say that they never taught about what it means to be in full relationship with God, but it was not until Pastor Daryl spoke about it that I finally heard and began to understand my spiritual journey. Pastor Daryl is a great teacher. In this book, he uses one verse from every book of the Bible and breaks it down so that we can understand who God is and what He says about us. I read a few pages of this book almost every day. When I finish, I start over again. It is easy to read and understand, and it helps to make the Bible feel less overwhelming.
• The Word for You Today on The Promises of God – This is another book that is easy to understand and very straightforward about the promises of God. To walk in full relationship with God, you need to know what He has promised you, and how to stand on those promises.
•  Jesus Calling by Sarah Young – This is a powerful little book! It is a daily devotional that is written as though Jesus is speaking directly to you. This book never ceases to amaze me with its messages that are so on point for each day.
• Friends – Everyone will not understand this journey. While I may have several acquaintances, there are only a few trusted friends that I can lean on not only when things are hard, but when things are great as well. I love having conversations about how good God is during times when things are great, and I love being reminded of how good God is during tough times. You were not meant to walk out this journey alone. If you have no one to talk to, feel free to reach out to me. Seriously. We all need someone.
• Prayer – It is amazing how quickly we forget that we can and should first and foremost go to God with everything. He already knows and loves you so much, so spend time not only talking to Him, but get quiet and listen to Him. Ask Him to speak to you and to guide you. He will answer. God wants a relationship with you, so trust that He will never leave or forsake you.

Finally, you must accept the fact that there are no shortcuts. If you want everything that God has for you, then you must walk in full relationship with Him. It really is that simple.

Okay, one more thing just because I cannot resist. It would be silly of me to write a post about winning and not include a link to this song. You’re welcome. Turn it up, and win no matter what!

Your time spent reading this post is deeply appreciated. If you prefer listening, all blog posts are available on SoundCloud.