Would you like to be part of the winner’s group?

I remember when going to school games as a teenager with my friends we used to scream our heads off to cheer our team on. I always wanted “my team” to win. Who doesn’t like to be on the winning side? That is a very exciting experience. Sometimes our team did not win despite how much we yelled at the top players and how hard they tried. We felt deceived as they excused themselves of any error made. That was sad.

When I first came to this country, I recall of a magazine called “The Winners Circle”. I don’t remember if it was about successful people or not. Later I learned that was the name which is given to the enclosure, close to the race track, where the champion horses and jockeys are photographed with their given trophies.  All champions are anyhow eulogized.

There are many clubs or groups of successful people, but I would like to talk about the one of the winners in life. And not, precisely the ones who are doing well, because they have a nice house, or perhaps more than one; a great job or a profitable business; the ones who have the latest model vehicle(s), and lots of money to enjoy life as they please. This is not bad if it was gained without cheating and used for good purposes, for God himself gave us the opportunity to be successful on this good earth He created. God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good. (Genesis 1:31NASB)  The real winners in life are the ones who see it as a privilege and are grateful every day thanking the Creator for it and for the opportunity to enjoy it, despite the bad moments. And when they come across them, they can handle the situation for they have based their lives in their faith. When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure, He told them: In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Many people think that the fact of offering himself quietly to be slaughtered and die on the cross, made Jesus become a looser paradigm. Many years ago I saw a movie about Jesus’ life in which the group of actors, who interpreted his friends, ended leaving sadly after his death. But the story was incomplete because three days after Jesus rose from the tomb. He overcame death. He is the ONLY redeemer of any existing religion to have ever done that. That’s why He said: . . . your grief will be turned into joy . . . and no one will take your joy away from you. (John 16: 20, 22) The ones who conspired to kill Jesus then probably thought that once he was gone his philosophy would become obsolete. They would have never guessed two thousand years later, his million followers would justify what Paul the apostle, asserted: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39) If we have God’s love we are already winners.