RUN TO WIN ONLY - PART 2

THURSDAY 06 OCTOBER 2022

A victor's mentality is a mindset that sustains the steadfastness of winning attitude in any competition, contest, race or life's events. As a born again Christian, this mentality is a firm, fixed purpose of the heart that strictly and promptly upholds God's Word concerning you as a champion, who is born to win and to exercise consistent victory in your sphere of activities. So your winning mentality is a decided, unchangeable, unshaken purpose of the heart to hold fast the victory of Christ on the cross and His Biblical teachings alike, regardless of feelings, challenges, oppositions and circumstances, and to establish it in one's life when needed.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 9:24 New International Version (NIV) "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

Having the assurance and certitude that you have the victory of Christ will invariably empower you to "run to win" in every life's affair. The New Living Translation says, "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win." Running to win denotes an unwavering attitude one must develop towards a race. If the prize is important to you, you'll run to win. Moreover, understand that the Christian is already pronounced a winner in every way, for the Bible says, "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4 NKJV). That is to say today that in measure of every facet of the natural life, family life, commercial life and spiritual life, the born again Christian is supreme by all means and it's a mentality, fixed and conditioned by our position in Christ!

Understand this truth: no matter the challenge you face and any situation you encounter in this life, you are already declared a winner because of Christ and so, you must function accordingly, meaning that you are going to face it from a winner's perspective. Why? It's because Jesus Christ is living in your spirit. From there, He spreads His victory into every area of your life as you acknowledge His presence in you. No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:57 reads, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (ESV). Notice that this Scripture didn't say, "God will try and give us victory. No! He supplies the victory at will through Christ in you. So in Christ, you're assured of your right to walk in victory only.

Winning is a certainty you must validate as your inward conviction and uphold within the atmosphere of your mental faculties. Once your heart is established in this truth, you can live and enjoy the life of a victor. I like the way John the Evangelist puts it in 1 John 2:14, which reads, "I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (NIV). Beloved, you are not fighting or going to overcome the evil one, but rather you have already overcome him. So see your victory as a guaranteed certainty, consider it as a done deal due to Christ's performance on the cross and, then allow every aspect of your Christian identity to be watered and coloured by this truth. To actualise this in a practical manner, ensure that God's Word is richly steady in you and secondly, that your fellowship with God is habitual and intact. That way, your victory over the evil one becomes your undeniable expression in this world from time to time. Did you get it? Therefore always see yourself functioning from the standpoint of victory, ahead of any event and challenge because you already know it's going to end in your favour. Then, steadfastly resist the wrong thoughts and every indifferent friction between your winning attitude and any contrary picture in your imagination or force in your environment.

Beloved, the Bible says, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]" (Romans 8:37 AMP). Although every single one of us as Christians has different life's experiences based on diverse places, times and circumstances that are unique to our existence, its important to keep in mind on a deeper level that:

1. We have won more than a victory. 2. We are more than conquerors or winners. 3. We are triumphantly victorious due to the one who loved us.

Therefore, running any race in life with a winning mentality empowers us with profound insight into an excessive level of confidence based on Christ's finished work on the cross. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - 2 Samuel 23:12; John 16:33; Philippians 2:16; Colossians 2:15; Philippians 3:14; 1 John 4:4.

Exuberant Declaration: Thanks be unto the God of my salvation who always supplies me with abundant victory, adequate winning attitude and a lifestyle of unquestionable dominion in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, I'm led along in Christ's triumphal procession to win in life and possess my possessions of good report and delightful inheritance, thereby hosting the flag and trophy of Christ's triumph in every aspect of my life. Blessed be God!