Having a Winning Addiction!

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Co 15:57)

I do not know about you but I hate losing anything. I can remember my friend who my Bishop and I were playing basketball he won the game, it was a miserable defeat. The score was something like 50 to 4. I was completely humiliated. I lost but I still remember it almost ten years later. I am still trying to defeat him and I will someway somehow. I just hate losing. My children as they were growing up became better at playing basketball they would accuse me of changing the rules, that way I would always win. No matter how many rule changes I made they were becoming more skilled and physically stronger you can pretty much figure out the results. When I was managing a drug rehab program In Minneapolis, one game we play was Domino. I had never played dominoes before so they taught me the basic rules of the game. It seemed like I was always losing, this was a problem. I am a person who just has to win in everything that I do; I just do not take losing anything lightly. I had to go out of town for a couple weeks to do some conferences. My plan was very sample I purchase three or four books on how to play the game of dominoes. Doing those two weeks I read all the books and apply the tactics and practice. When I returned to the rehab program I could not wait to be invited to play a game. The first two games I lost intentionally, then I begin to apply the principles and tactics I have been practicing for the last two weeks. I have the worst record something like two and 23; I begin to winning every game. At first they thought my luck had really changed, and then they began to realize slowly my whole tactics for playing the game had changed. I went from being the worst loser to sitting all new records for winning. It just feels good to win.

Remember as kids we were taught to have good sportsmanship. If the other team defeated you, you went over to shake their hand, and to tell them congratulation for winning. I respected my coaches, but I just had a hard time with that principle. I understand what they were trying to teach us, but I did not want to tell the opposing team congratulations. What I really wanted to say was can we have a rematch, I cannot accept this loss. How in the world can you be a gracious loser? I see no grace in losing.

You can become addicted to losing and become comfortable in living your life that way. You ever heard the statement "you win some and you lose some." Have you ever thought that this is just an excuse for losing? One can become accustomed to losing and cover it up with all kinds of excuses. -I am just this way because my father did not like me.- -You do not understand I was abused as a child.- -I am just not smart enough.- These things may be true but many times we used them as a crush, we do not expect to do any better nor does anyone else expect anything different from us. Losing have become an addiction and we refuse to be taken off the drug. Have you ever thought about it takes very little effort to lose. Winning is not always easy but it is much better than losing.

Overcoming obstacles and problems it is not always easy but you must make a conscious choice to do so. The first step to becoming a winner is changing your attitude. Honestly how do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as a winner in life or you just accustomed to losing. "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: … (Pro 23:7) I always did not have a winning attitude. Life for me as a child was very difficult. My stepfather was physically abusive. This abuse me made me look at myself as being useless and unfit. When someone is telling you that you are stupid and no good (especially coming from someone who is an authority figure) you begin to accept what they say. You see yourself form in the shape of the words they are speaking to you. Breaking out of this mold is not easy but it can and must be done. Buried deep inside me was a winning attitude waiting to be discovered. Step-by-step I began the transition from the road of being a loser and begin to walk the path of a winner.

Let me share with you some of the steps I made in order for this transformation to take place. If you will apply these steps to your life I am sure you would have the same result.

1) I begin to see myself as God sees me.

This is probably the most difficult step. Yet it is the most important. Until you see yourself differently you would not act differently. Because you think you are a failure you act like a failure. You ever saw a dog who acts like a cat? The dog can only behave the way he was design. No matter how much training you do he will behave like a dog, it is just inbred in him to be a dog. Thank God we can change for our negative thinking and reactions and become who God really created us to be. I remember when God began to show me who I ready was and what I really look like to him. It was almost frightening, it was a radical change. This can be found only in the Word of God. He created me to be successful in every area of life. God never created a loser; you lose because you decide to do so. Just think you are created in the very image of God. When we lose we discredit the image that God has created us in. God made us the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. You ever wonder why people are always saying they are under the circumstances. Life has its trials, tests, and difficult circumstances. You must learn how to be on top of the circumstance not the circumstance on top of you. I am not pretending that this happened overnight, it did not. I had to begin to walk the path of winning no matter how difficult it may have been.

2) Developing new habits

Remember losers develop losing habits. You always set yourself up to lose, that the only way you know in life, so it becomes habit-forming. Actually it becomes an addiction. Somewhere along the line I picked up the saying “creating Holy Habits.” How easy it is to develop and to continue to practicing bad habits. Some of us have an addiction for bad habits. We know that the practice of forming bad habits only entrap us with more snares from the enemy. How many of us get entangle with winning habits? I learned habits did not have to be bad, I just had to develop good habits. Why develop a habit for eating incorrectly, it is just as easy to develop a habit of healthy choices. You can choose and develop the habits you wish to create in life good or bad.

3) Breaking the cycle of excuses

You have been so used to losing that you have an excuse for every time you lose. This just becomes natural. You even form a false sense of humility. You make it look like it is some kind of religious right to be a loser. Some people even have the audacity to include God in their excuses. If God wanted me to do better he would have made me better. You must make a determination never to use excuses for your failures. Failure is no longer an option.

This is what God gave me about excuses “excuses are the vision of the enemy the keeps you in a place of failure.” If you continue to see yourself as a failure you always have an excuse for doing so. Remember the man who lay at the pool from 38 years. Jesus came and asked him would he be made whole. You notice the first thing he did was to give an excuse. I have no one to put me in the water when it is being stirred. He became custom to living that way. Maybe it’s just my way of thinking but in 38 years I would have found a way to get in the water. It is time for you to pick up your bed and walk, because Jesus is here to change your perspective and teach you to be a winner. The cripple man was required to do something, to leave his excuses behind pick up his bed and walk.

4.) Turn every failure into a success

This is by no means a simple process. It may require you to re-educating yourself in different areas of your life. You may have to ask someone to teach you a new skill. Learn to rethink your previous approach. Take time and examine the reason for the failure. My uncle was a professional bowler he had trophies almost every room in the house. Winning to him was more than just your score. True winners look at their failures and weakness and become determine to turn them into their strengths. My uncle would make me practice by re-creating every split I made. Over and over until I was able to recover successfully from that particular split. It was years later that I realized what he was doing, he was taking my weakness and making it my strength. It is not always easy to face the weaknesses and failures of your life, they seem to stare back at you and say “you cannot win,” you will never be able to overcome. There must be an inward determination to turn every failure to success. I do not remember if I read it, perhaps I heard someone speak about it. This small piece of instructions has been very useful in my life. “Use every failure as a step up to success.” Let me repeat myself again, never give up until you are successful.

5.) The Holy Spirit is there to assist you.

Have you ever needed help in getting something accomplished? Ever been place in a situation that you did not know what to do, which way to go or how to act? Jesus said he was sending the Holy Spirit to help us. Often we think of the assistant of the Holy Spirit only on a spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit will help me understand the Word of God or assist me in understanding spiritual things. Actually the Holy Spirit has come to help you in every area of your life. He the Holy Spirit will bring back to your memory of the word to help you in whatever area you may need assistance. There were many occasions in my life I did not know what to do or how to be victorious in a given situation. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking I am my own man, or I am my own women, not acknowledging our incapability. I realize more than ever before that I need the help of the Holy Spirit to win in every circumstance of life. I am learning to wait on him and hear his advice, yielding to his direction. The AMP translation brings out the full meaning of the word “Comforter”. It is a Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby. How powerful the Holy Spirit becomes in my life if I avail myself to all He offers. He my Counselor, the one who instruct me, my adviser in every part of life. I remember on this particular occasion my supervisor was not doing his job. He would take our work and claim it as his. When I confronted him he became very angry and was determined to have me terminate. I requested a hearing from the Department Manager, in which I received. In the hearing my supervisor made many accusations, and accused me of many ugly and false things. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and directed me to be quite, [“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psa 46:10)] at first to be honest I wanted to defend myself and prove everything he was saying was false. I knew if I did not follow the Holy Spirit directions in this situation it would not have came out for my best. Finally he finished and the Holy Spirit directed me to give the Department Manager my written report. I did not say a word, she simply begin to read the report right away she recognizes he had been taking other people work and claim it for his own. When she finished reading the report she asked me if I could validate this report. I told her I had all the documentation needed for validation. She turned to my supervisor and told him you are terminated immediately. Mr. Flowers if you so desire you can have his job today. The next morning the department had a new supervisor. Simply because I follow the directions of the Holy Spirit, of course I want to defend myself, my reputation was at stake. In yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit He was able to intercede for me. In every situation we must learn to allow the Holy Spirit to do as He pleased with our lives.

"But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you." St. John 14:26 AMP

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." St. John 14:26 NKJV

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” St. John 10:10 AMP.

It is hard to enjoy life being a failure in everything that you do. Jesus said he came that we may enjoy life and has it in abundance. That that means a whole lot more than just finances, this is learning to be successful in every realm of life. In your place of employment you are the best at what you do. In your marriage you have learned the principles of God and apply them to your marriage. Being a single person you apply God’s principles in order to live a successful life as being a single person. You are not just living but you are living the abundant life that God intended for you to live.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Co 15:57) KJV

“…[Putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as king in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)” Romans 5:17 AMP

Does that mean we will never have problems and negative circumstances, of course not. Our outlook at adversity is just different. I take the adversity and negative circumstances and find a way to win through Jesus Christ. So what are you addicted to? Are you addicted to losing, or -Having a Winning Addiction!