25 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)
How many times have you heard the phrase, “Winning isn’t everything”? It usually comes after a bad loss and a friend or parent is trying to cheer you up. Rarely does anyone share that nugget of truth with you after a win … unless they are jealous. Right? Athlete, here is the reality: If winning is everything, you need to make sure you “win” at the right thing.
Tom Brady has won more than most people. After his third Super Bowl victory, he is quoted as saying, “I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: God, it's gotta be more than this. I mean this can't be what it's all cracked up to be. I mean, I've done it. I'm 27. And what else is there for me?”
Winning in sports is not a bad thing. Read that again. But it becomes “bad” when we are reliant on success in sports to fill a void in our hearts that can only be filled by God.
1 Corinthians 9:25 tells us that everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
You were created to win crowns for eternity by loving and serving the living God. Winning is everything. Let’s join the God who never loses today by asking how we can best serve Him … and win!
