Do you play TO-WIN or play “NOT-TO-LOSE”?
Let me explain the difference by using one of my favorite basketball stories.
The year was 1995. It was Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. The N.Y. Knicks had a comfortable 105-99 lead over the Indiana Pacers with only twenty seconds left in the game. It looked like a sure win for Knicks. But they forgot about Reggie Miller. The deadly Pacers shooter suddenly scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds. Crazy, right? Then something crazier happened. The Pacers won the game, 107-105! The home court audience was shocked. The Knicks did not know what hit them. (You can view this awesome game in Youtube. Look for "Miller time NBA 1995")
That's the difference. Miller was playing TO-WIN, the Knicks were playing not-to-lose. Maybe the Knicks just wanted to waste away the clock. They became complacent. On the other hand, Miller gave all for the win. The player wearing jersey #31 played to win.
Our approach to our faith can be like that too. You can choose to win or play not-to-lose.
We know that it’s difficult to follow God's laws. I have doubts I can follow them every time I read them.
Romans 13:9 says The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,”
But what happens when you become too conscious in following the law? The more you tend to break it, right? Secondly, you may also forget the law 
That's like me saying to you "close your eyes. Think of anything except of a purple dancing dinosaur. The dinosaur looks friendly. It's singing too” What just happened? You just thought of Barney, a purple dinosaur who dances & sings.
Instead of focusing on the law, focus on the reason behind the law. That reason is called LOVE. Why? BECAUSE LOVE FULFILLS THE LAW.
Romans 13:8 says "Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
When you LOVE you are fulfilling the law. When you focus on LOVE then you're playing to win. When you are too focus on the law you are playing not-to-lose. You are bound to fail if you choose to play not-to-lose.
Btw, even Barney confirms this when he sings "I love you, You love me, We're a happy family..." See, told you it's all about LOVE 
Choosing to LOVE means choosing to WIN. That’s the right path to holiness. Follow the true winner who is Jesus. May this post inspire you to #RiseUp & be a saint! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment