It
is countdown time for the London Olympic Games and athletes from all over the
world are finalizing their training to reach peak condition to compete and be a
winner of a coveted gold medal. Ask any of them if they anticipate being a
loser of their event and they will give you a resounding NO! Commitment,
dedication, concentration and discipline has been part of their life for many months
with the sole objective of being first past the winning post, and standing on
the top of the podium.
The “All Poetry website” states the
following. ‘Edgar Albert Guest was born in Britain but grew up and spent
most of his life in the U.S.A. He was a product of "small town"
America and the values and lifestyle he had as a boy permeates his writing both
prose and poem. He worked most of his adult life as newspaperman, syndicated
country wide and is reputed to have had a new poem published in a newspaper
every day for over 30 years’. My estimation of that man is that
professionally he was a winner; I take my hat off to him. One of his poems was
given to me many years ago when I was working with a Gospel Van in Cornwall, it
goes,
Somebody said that it
couldn’t be done, But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it
couldn’t," but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right
in with the trace of a grin on his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as
he tackled the thing that couldn’t be done, and he did it.
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that; At least no one has done
it";
But he took off his
coat and he took off his hat, And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his
chin and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as
he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to
prophesy failure
There are thousands
to point out to you one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in
with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as
you tackle the thing That "couldn’t be done," and you’ll do it.
It is far better to have a positive mind about
things, whether in sport, commerce, industry or any other field of expertise,
application is the first step of achievement. I sometimes wonder why there are
so many failed marriages today. Could it be that negative selfish behaviour
takes over and then everybody loses? The biggest casualties among children does
not come from war-zones throughout the world, but a war-zone in the home where
battles for self -advantage rage. This is a sad fact of today’s society, but
there is something far sadder. When it comes to spiritual things regarding God,
the Bible, Salvation, Heaven or Hell, as one looks around there are losers in
every direction. Not many souls are seeking the Lord, there appears to be a
total disinterest in the things of God. People will talk about the weather,
money or current sporting activities, but speak to some about their soul and
silence pervades.
When you read the Bible you will find that there are
winners and losers from cover to cover. Adam disobeyed God and lost out, he was
driven out of paradise because of his sin. His son Cain was also a loser; he
murdered his brother and suffered the consequences. When you get to the last
Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, we read from chapter six to nineteen
the wrath of God falling upon a godless world. I met a Chinese lady in Wales
and she told me that she was reading Revelation chapter fifteen. She was angry
with God and said that she did not want to be a part of that. I told her of the
events that she was reading about and asked if she intended continuing reading
the Book. She said “Yes”, so I directed her to chapter nineteen which is about the
marriage of the Lamb. I told her that this is what she needed to be a part of,
part of the Church, the Bride of Christ, and that she needed to be born again
to be part of the Bride at that marriage in Heaven. If she has placed her faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ since then, she is a winner, if not she will miss out
and be a loser.
Paul
used the imagery of the Athenian Games, he said in Philippians 3:13, “This one thing I do, forgetting those
thing which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus.” He wanted to be a winner in the Christian faith; he
had the winning line in front of him. Earlier in v.8 he said, “Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” That is how he
started and continued to live for Christ, and when the end was near he said to
the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me,
neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify
the gospel of the grace of God.” Later when his end was near he said
in 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have
kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” That is winning, but ‘To lose one’s wealth is much; To
lose one’s health is more but to lose one’s soul in Hell is such that nothing
can restore.’ Be a winner, receive Christ now and run a good race for Him.
God bless.
Written for Stephen Baker by Stan Burditt June 2012
