Winners & Losers

I’m not a fan of giving trophies to every single person on the team. I do like giving completion awards. I think there is value is striving to be the Most Valuable Player and there is only one of those. I also think the same about “most improved”. It shows growth. I sometimes wish that I could win every time when I compete, but that’s just not how it works. Now that I’ve gotten older, I try hard to compete against myself to become a better version of me than yesterday.

There are days that I win the day and there are other days when I feel like I’ve simply not been my best.  I shouldn’t judge my days too harshly because I can’t be my hardest critic. I’m so thankful that the Lord is fuller of grace and mercy than I am. I came across this passage that reminded me to live for Him. Check this out…

¹⁹ Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin.

²² But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:19a, 22-23 NLT)

Without the Lord, I’m a loser.

With the Lord, I’m a real winner.

He has done all the work to make me a winner. He has saved me. He has forgiven me over and over again. He restores me. He sustains me.

I was introduced to a new song a few days ago that is really stirring my soul.

I Am Your Beloved by Jonathan & Melissa Helser

I am Your Beloved, You have bought me with Your blood and on Your hand, You’ve written out my name.

I am Your beloved, the one the Father loves. His mercy has defeated all my shame.

I’m thankful to be winner every day because the Lord has made me a winner. He has saved me from myself and my own stupidity. He is teaching me. He is growing me. I used to be a loser, but now I’m a winner!

Pressing On!

Dwayne