Quiet Time: What's A Winner

What's A Winner

Read: 2 Peter 1:1-11

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.          – 1 Peter 1:8

Winner is not a character trait.

Someone asked Vince Lombardi (probably the most quoted coach of all time) if he considered himself to be a great leader. Lombardi answered proudly, “No, I’m a winner.” At first, this statement sound very motivational to me, but then I thought, "How can anyone be a winner?" We can be hard working, honest, stubborn, persistent, self-controlled, godly, but how can we be something that changes based on the score of a game? A virtue by its very essence is immutable.

Peter, in his second epistle to the early church was encouraging them to grow in Christian character. He actually offers a list of virtues that stair step toward the mark of true Christian maturity (2 Peter 1:9). Had Peter been asked by a reporter if he considered himself to be a leader, I think he would have said, “Yes, but I have a lot lower to go.” According to scripture the best leaders are losers. They are willing to lose everything for love of God and man. I like the way (Matthew 13:10-11) reads in The Message bible translation: “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant.” This thought may not translate well in light of today’s “winner” philosophy, but then again God’s ways are always higher than the world’s ways.

It seems to me that the noun “winner” describes a man’s numbers where as his character describes a man’s nature and character doesn’t change with the score of a game.