Learning to win

"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3, NIV)

The junior soccer team that I told you about yesterday lost its first 7 games of the season. In the second half of the season they went on to win their last seven games against the same opposition. They had learned how to lose and persevere. Now they had to learn how to win.

Somebody said, “it takes a great deal of grace to carry a full cup with a steady hand”. We are more inclined to grow spiritually through trials than through prosperity.

Yes we all need encouragement to motivate and build up our self-esteem. And we need to be encouraging one another. But as winners we also need to learn to be humble and win with grace. Most people can handle adversity but if you really want to test a person's character give them power.

DAY LIGHTERS by Nico Bougas. Available from amazon.com

Outward Appearance

“Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”" (1 Samuel 16:7, NLT)

In his book, Modern Times, Paul Johnson notes that Stalin was short--just five feet, four inches tall. Furthermore, a childhood accident had left his left arm stiff and his hand slightly misshapen.

So when the dictator commissioned his portrait, he instructed the artist to paint him from his best angle--from below, a perspective that made Stalin seem to tower over the artist. To add to the image, Stalin folded his hands over his stomach, making them appear firm and powerful --more like the pseudonym he had chosen: Stalin, which means "man of steel."

It is natural to try to present ourselves in the best possible light. But God’s Word is a mirror that shows us our true light. We may be able to deceive others. But there is nothing hidden from God.

As Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."

DAY LIGHTERS by Nico Bougas available from amazon.com

I Did

Two geese were getting ready to fly from a cold and wintery Canada down south to Florida. A frog heard about it and went hurrying over to where these geese were and said, "Boy, I'd like to go to Florida. I've heard so much about the place. It really sounds great and I've got this new sun tan lotion that's guaranteed not to burn. I'd really love to go".

The geese said, "How in the world do you expect to get there?"

The frog replied, "I could get on your back and you could fly me down". So they tried it. But again and again the frog fell off.

Finally the frog had a smart idea. "I've got it," he said, "see this stick? Mrs Goose you grab it here, and Mr Goose you grab it here on the other end and I'll grab it in the middle and we'll have a flying contraption."

It sounded pretty good. Mrs Goose grabbed the one end and Mr Goose grabbed the other end. The frog grabbed the middle and off they went. It was marvelous. They were cruising along. For miles and miles they travelled over towns, farm, villages, houses, streets - it was fantastic. Then they flew over a man who looked up and could hardly believe his eyes. Two geese and a frog flying with a stick. He reached up and scratched his head and said out aloud, " I wonder who in the world was smart enough to think of that?"

The frog heard him, his ears twitched, his heart swelled with pride and he opened his big mouth and called out, "I did"' and of course that was the end of Mr Frog. 

"There is no limit  to what can be accomplished if we don't care who gets the credit."  (Emerson) Many a good project has been ruined by people seeking to take the limelight and get the credit.