Looking for Winners

Last Saturday I found myself in the midst of a 5k road race. I normally prefer the slower, longer races like the marathon but occasionally I subject my body to these long sprints so I can learn to run faster. When all was said and done, much to my surprise, I finished third in my age group (not to many “fast” runners showed up) and this started me thinking about what it means to win.

Some people train for years to win something and then what? My father-in-law played in the Super Bowl on more than one occasion but he was always on the losing team, does that make him a loser? If you knew father-in-law you would know that he’s not a loser, in fact I would say that he’s a winner in every way. Or take my dad, he played for Ireland when they won the European Amateur Golf Championships, does that make him a winner? He is a winner, but not just because of an event in his past, he is a winner because of who he is as a person.

Success or “winning” has become so defined in our culture by temporal success in sport or business and in the process we have forgotten what it really means to win in this game of life. You may win the temporal game by gaining the most toys, the most expensive car, or the biggest house that wins (or being the pastor with largest congregation), but none of this counts in the eternal game of life, which is the game that really matters.

Winning in life speaks to our character, and our relationships, it addresses who we are when no one else is looking. It is focused not on a particular event but rather on a process, a process that we call discipleship. To win in life is to journey with Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to mold us into the image of God. The real winners in the game of eternal life are the people who have learned to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and mind and have also learned to love their neighbors as themselves.   

Big churches, great programs, engaging youth ministry, world class Christian education, and other objectives are all useful tools, but they must never become sacred cows, because they are not the game we are trying to win. They are simply means to an end.

The goal of this game of life, is not material success, a trophy cabinet full of awards or any other material possession, or even an efficient ministry structure. The end goal of this game is to see people become fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ so they can live life to the fullest and enjoy eternal life in the presence of God with all the saints who have gone before them or will come in the future.

Let’s play this game of life to win.