What does it take to be a winner?

One of my favorite things to do is to be ready to give someone good news whether it’s about themselves or the kingdom of God or best of all – both.

On a ministry trip to Tennessee one year, I discovered my hotel was hosting a body-builder event. It took me back to my youth when I spent many hours in the local gym lifting weights. I wanted to build muscle and strength to compete in sports like wrestling, boxing and football. I wanted to be a winner! And I eventually become good enough to win several trophies for boxing and football.

As I sat in the big leather chair in the hotel waiting for someone from the church I was speaking at to pick me up, several men and women from the event came up to me because they thought I looked like “someone important.” 

One guy asked if I was an executive for the association. What surprised me was what they really wanted - they would just start talking to me and pouring out their lives. One fellow told me he was 29, had been married 3 times and other things about his life that weren’t very good - and then asked: “What does it take to be a winner?” I knew he was referring to winning a trophy for body building. So I said, “You mean, how do you go from being a chump to a champion?

“It’s all in the way you see you. Your problems control your life. You need to be crowned by the King and let Him be in control of your life. I can see it in your eyes.” He said, “I know it, I was raised in a church like that.” I said, “It’s time to come back. You don’t have to give up body building, but you do need to get into soul building.”

I then just told him to “Pray after me…” He knelt down and gave his heart to Christ right there in the lobby. I lead 4 men and 2 women to the Lord in that hotel. Who knew – the field was ripe and ready for harvest!  Jesus knows.   

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” Jesus, John 4:35.