So much of what we learn and come to understand about life is based on competition. We live in a world that is about competition and competing with others. And winning is a good thing. Winning is important. But winning in life doesn’t always mean beating the other person or looking at them as the enemy.
It seems like so much of what we learn when we’re involved in sports gets out of balance. On one side you have this line of thinking that says, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” And there’s some amount of truth to that. You want to play the game fairly and by the rules. But playing a fair game without any concept or attempt at winning in mind probably isn’t a completely accurate picture. Then there’s the thought process that says, “Do whatever it takes to win.” Now, that gets into an extreme on the other end and possibly some nefarious schemes just to get the win. But while it’s certainly not the goal to win at all costs, winning has to be one of your objectives. It’s not just about the exercise.
I think the problem comes when the objective of winning just becomes about beating the other guy. If that’s your only goal, it’s going to be an empty win. Part of winning is strategizing and planning to see if you can find a way to win. And much of the game play are a means through which we can learn how to do that. So, learning how to win is an admirable objective.
And winning, when it really matters, isn’t about beating other people, or about gaining the upper hand on someone else. It’s about beating down a bad idea or a wrong belief system. Winning the day in an argument that really matters has the power to truly impact lives for the better. For if winning is just about beating the other person, it just becomes an exercise in pride. And many times that’s what our arguments develop into. We just want to beat the other person. So, we cling to our argument at all costs—with a death grip. We’ll even begin to make the argument at the expense of the facts. It’s known as intellectual dishonesty.
Winning is about being the best you can be at something. I’d say you’re biggest opponent is yourself. So, it’s not a competition, at least not with other people—it’s a competition with yourself. It’s seeing how good you can become at something. But when it really matters, it’s about being the best person you can be. The development of your character is the objective. And you’re really competing with your alternative self. You’re seeing how good you can become vs. the alternative. Many times our biggest enemy is ourselves. We always want to look to the outside for enemies. That takes any blame off of ourselves, anyway. But when we really win is when we beat back our most base of natures, and when we beat back the wrong beliefs and ideas that try to invade our culture.
AV Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].” I think the enemy likes nothing better than when we begin to fight and bicker amongst ourselves. This gets our eyes off the true enemy—namely him. If we’re busy fighting with each other he can roam around unchecked, and unnoticed, wreaking havoc in our lives. This verse reminds us that our real enemy isn’t one of flesh and blood. While we may battle with people here on earth with wrong ideas, we are only battling with them because the enemy has deceived them. And the battle isn’t fought in the flesh, but in the spirit. And that’s where the battle is won, praying in the spirit on our knees.
AV 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:” Paul’s declaration was one he confidently expressed looking back on his life. He relates it to that of running a race. What I think we often forget is that the race isn’t against other Christians. We aren’t trying to prove ourselves a better Christian than someone else. That’s not how the race is won. The race is won when we have faithfully and fully completed the work the Lord has given us to do.
AV 2 Timothy 2:23: “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.” Conversations can often get into muddy waters very easily. We can begin to discuss matters of very little importance and end up battling over them like it’s the only thing that matters. We can find ourselves willing to die on almost any mountain just for the sake of winning an argument. The Bible reminds us to steer clear of these things. As it says, this only causes strife.
That’s why pharmaceutical company has one set of price for drugs in the U.S. and usa cheap viagra another, cheaper set of prices for medicines in other countries. Lubrication may be helpful, buying viagra uk but hold on to the ring until you are completely hard in order to avoid slippage.Look out for signs that there’s something else in it that naturally boosts the sex drive. The most http://icks.org/n/data/ijks/1482467975_ij_file.pdf viagra online canada common side effects include stuffy nose or headaches. viagra for sale india It helps all those with erectile dysfunction It truly is simply not for every single guy who suffers erection difficulties. AV 2 Corinthians 10:3: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:” This goes along the lines of the verse in Ephesians 6:12. The fact that we live and move in a physical world can often distract us from the fact that we face resistance from another realm. That spiritual realm can often be easy to overlook. But as we get more involved in the battle and facing it head-on, we become more aware of its reality. We become more aware of it because we can sense the resistance and the forces that we face. You’re aware of the battle because you’re now engaged in it.
AV 1Thessalonians 4:4: “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;” Many times winning the battle without, starts by winning the battle within. Possessing our vessels means that we have control over our flesh and its desires. We put our flesh under subjection to our spirit. And we do this with the Holy Spirit’s help. When we win that battle, we are free to live, and walk, and be led by the Spirit.
AV Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].”
AV 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:”
AV 2 Timothy 2:23: “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.”
AV 2 Corinthians 10:3: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:”
AV 1Thessalonians 4:4: “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;”