Champions Train, Losers Complain
Philippians 2:14-15 NLT
“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”
A CHAMPIONS LIFE
Champions are inspiring people and they live inspiring lives. Lives that challenge the status quo. Lives that are built on personal development and growth. No matter what they achieve they concern themselves more with the process than they do the product. They commit themselves to personal growth more than personal gain. They understand that if they do their part, do what others don’t, believe in their God given purpose even when others don’t, turn negative situations into positive situations, have deep desire, dreams and vision, and play to win, instead of playing not to lose, and finally, train and not complain, then they will meet their goals. They will achieve their dreams. They will accomplish the purpose God has for them. God wants this life for each of us and we should live like this because that’s what champions do.
WHAT CAUSES US TO LOSE
Before we talk about training and developing, that time spent growing so we can accomplish, we must first talk about some of the issues and attitudes that cause us to lose in life. Losing doesn’t just happen! As humans, we at times have a mentality that some people are born winners, and some people are born losers. This is just not true. Everyone of us are born with the ability to do either.
Yes, some are born into less fortunate circumstances, but whether we win or lose depends on how we respond to those circumstances. This is why its so important for us to define what winning means and why its important that we know Christ. The truth is that we have all been born into sin and so we all have the propensity to be losers.
JESUS CHANGES ALL THAT.
He has given us the ability to win in life, the tools to win in life, and the family to win in life. However, we all have to overcome the obstacles. Winning in life is far more than mere human success. If we can avoid having negative issues and attitudes, then we have a far greater opportunity to be a champion and to have major victories in life.
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
John Maxwell says “Attitude is everything”. I find this to be true and biblical. Our attitudes effect our perspectives, our mindsets, our thoughts, and our words. This is why the bible tells us to do everything without arguing or complaining! Complaining paralyzes our ability to live an inspired life. It stops our efforts to make a difference or to bring positive change. Complaining is not just an action; it’s also an attitude.
Some thoughts and quotes on complaining:
- Complaining and blaming others doesn’t help anything, but it does make you a miserable person.
- Complaining about things you are unwilling to change is a form of hypocrisy
- Complaining is a complete waste of ones energy. (I find that those who complain the most accomplish the least.)
- Spending today complaining about yesterday won’t make tomorrow any better!
Complaining and the attitude that comes with it literally holds you down from victory in your life. Complaints lock you in to limitations. How do I stop it? GRATITUDE! Have a thankful heart and an appreciative tone in your life.
CHAMPIONS TRAIN:
People who want to win in life make choices that support that desire. They use every opportunity, whether good or bad, to learn, develop, and grow as a person. There are so many people in the Bible we could point to, to make this point. However, there is one stand out!
JOSEPH:
He had every reason to complain. He made conscious decisions not to complain, but to train. He wasn’t complaining because he was able to see opportunity to grow. When he grew, his gifts were developed and they came to light. His attitude brought the favor of God on his life. Everything he did was blessed. His circumstances weren’t positive, but his attitude was, and the results speak for themselves.
His attitude made a way for his skill set. His skill-set opened the door to opportunity. God’s favor opened doors. He ultimately became a Champion of Champions. Had he wasted his time complaining, its highly likely none of the victories he had would have come to pass. God would have had to find someone else to lead the recovery.
MAKE A CHANGE
Make a change in your attitude because attitude is truly everything. If you want to create a path towards winning in your life, then speak life, be positive, lift others, work hard and smart, be solution minded AND DON’T COMPLAIN. Cursing the darkness won’t make it any brighter. You have to light a candle. Complaining won’t fix anything. You have to develop a solution. The real start to the change from loser to winner, from chump to champion, is to have a heart change. The only one who can change our heart is JESUS!
