Romans 8:37 – “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  NKJV

That was a question asked of me by an individual in whom everything in their makeup suggested that it was not possible.  When they asked me that in desperation and possibly wanting a confirmation of their doubt I used an illustration that I’ve used before to combat “impossibility thinking”, THE BUMBLEBEE…  That’s right, I said Bumblebee.

I said, “Did you know that a bumblebee cannot fly?”  They looked at me incredulously and said, “Of course they can, I see them all the time.”  I continued informing them that according to the principles of aeronautics, the shape and weight of their bodies in relation to their total wing area makes it impossible for them to fly.  BUT, the bumblebee apparently doesn’t know anything about the principles of aeronautics and just flies.  Amazing isn’t it?  I had their attention and attempted to communicate truth from God’s word and life that being a winner had more to do with attitude than aptitude.

            I am totally convinced that the first step toward success begins in the mind.  It begins with our decision to do it.  Very often the only thing that separates a winner and a loser is that decision.  It is imperative that we learn to take the circumstances of life and turn those obstacles into opportunities.  The enemy (Satan) and people, will try to convince us that we cannot but the final court of appeal is GOD’S WORD not Satan’s lies.  The question is who we choose to believe.  You and I have the option of living each day full of worry, fear, and doubt or confidence, hope, faith, and trust in God and His word.  The choice is ours, not the devils, not circumstances, not people but ours.  God has granted us that option and stands ready to help us once we have made the right choice.  I optimistically stand on the principle that every problem, from a biblical viewpoint, is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His miraculous power and incredible love.  Therefore, the right decision is vital.

When I deal with this issue I always begin at the same place – A TRANSFORMED MIND.  I am convinced that the first thing anyone needs is to develop the lifestyle and mindset of a winner.  If you think like a loser you will live like a loser and your expectation will be losing.  Therefore, if you want to be a winner, you have to have your mind transformed into the mind of a winner.  You can’t do that alone or with will-power, you need divine help and that is readily available in the Word of God and through the Spirit of God.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Man’s mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.”  God wants to STRETCH OUR MINDS with new thoughts, new ideas, and creativity.  He wants to instill in our hearts and minds NEW VISIONS and that is the vision of WINNING!

Let me probe a bit.  Is your mind filled with things past or things you could not or cannot control?  Is your mind filled with self-talk about what “shoulda, coulda, or woulda” IF ONLY?  Have you found yourself plagued with the mentality of being a victim?  Are you an eternal pessimist?  Do you always strive to get by, play it safe, and do what is virtually guaranteed to work?  That mindset will hinder your progress on the pathway to WINNING.  If you live for someday someway without any concrete plans for how you are going to get there or be that you have taken up residence in the Loser Mode of Life.  Time to change addresses.

Winners do not merely react to change, they create change!  Winners change the way they think and see the world and all that is in it.  Their thinking becomes an adventure and in a very real sense, they make it happen.  They believe all things are possible through the name, authority, and person of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Remember Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 13:30, when they came back from their recognizance of Canaan, the said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of the land, for WE SHALL SURELY OVERCOME!”  [Emphasis mine].  They had the same choice as the others but they opted to view the situation through the eyes of faith and as winners not through the eyes of the flesh as losers.  We must remember that God has already won for us and we simply need to enforce and appropriate the victory He has won.

You and I need to learn to “see” the opportunity in everything.  We need to learn to “see” value in everything.  We need to learn to “refuse” to allow anything to keep us down.  The Navy Seals have a saying that is powerful, “The man who will not be defeated, cannot be defeated.”  We need to allow nothing to control our thoughts but the Word and Spirit of God.  God has declared that “NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE to the one who believes.”  What do we say?

Can you be a winner?  What do you think?  What does God say?  Who are you going to believe?   God bless you as you embark on your journey of Winning in Jesus!