WINNING? WINNING?
05/03/11 11 Filed in: PERSONAL BALANCE
A blonde went to Las Vegas. She had been in the casino for about an hour, and realized she was thirsty. So she went to the soda machine in the hall. She put $2.00 in an a Pepsi came out, she put another $2.00 in and another Pepsi came out, she put one last $2.00 in and another Pepsi came out. A man saw her, and he said: "What are you doing?" And the blonde said: "Duh!!
Winning!!!"
There’s been a lot of talk about, “Winning!” lately with Charlie Sheen all over the news and now he’s even trying to copyright the phrase, “Duh. Winning!”
“Charlie Sheen is still a big story because, honestly, none of us know where Libya is.”
-- Jimmy Kimmel
Charlie Sheen this, Charlie Sheen that! I'm sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen!! Hmmm... maybe I'll change channels and watch this "Two and a Half Men" show.
But Charlie has raised a pretty good question: How Can I be a Winner?
Charlie’s ordeal, as sad as it seems, as crazy as it seems, also encourages us to look at what winning really is? And amazingly, Jesus addressed this “winning” issue:
Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:13-21 (NLT)
Jesus is interrupted by a man who felt he was being cheated by his brother. The man asks Jesus to set his brother straight, but Jesus has a different lesson in mind. Jesus tells a story with a clear message:
CLARIFY THE WIN
Jesus reminds all of us to clarify the win. Sometimes we think we are winning, when we aren’t really winning at all.
John Wooden said, “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”
And later on Jesus added: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’”—Luke 16:13-15
Patrick Lencioni in his classic book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:” says that “Inattention to results” is one of those dysfunctions--not understanding a win.
We need to clarify the win.
At age 3.... winning is....not wetting your pants.
At age 10... winning is…making your own meals At age 12... winning is....having friends. At age 16... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 20... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 35... winning is....having money. At age 55... winning is....having money. At age 70... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 75... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 80... winning is....having friends. At age 90... winning is…making your own meals At age 100... winning is....not wetting your pants.
Every year a famous bicycle race is held in India, and the goal of this race is to come in last. Cyclists, who are not allowed to touch the ground with their hands or feet, go as slowly as possible. A visitor who doesn’t know what winning is might pedal fast, reach the finish line and declare victory only to find they weren’t successful at all.
Unfortunately that type of thing happens all the time in our culture. Employees are fired and they confess, “I thought I was doing a great job.” Or an employee quits and moves to a competitor and the boss says, “I thought that person would stay here until she retired. I was shocked when she up and left.” It happens in marriages as well. “I thought we were happily married until she served me with divorce papers, announced she didn’t love me and confessed that maybe she never loved me.” “I thought everything was great in our marriage until he admitted he’d been having an affair and he wants to move out of the house.”
We can easily get caught up in the wrong definitions of success. We can think that we’re winning when we’re losing. We can reach the end of our rainbow and find no pot of gold. We can climb our ladders of success only to find its leaning against the wrong wall; we can gain our castle in Spain, only to find it has no plumbing.
Even as ministers we get caught up thinking winning is all about finances and fame when perhaps that really isn’t winning at all.
So here’s the question:
How Can I Clarify the Win?
Jesus offers several ideas on how to clarify the win.
1. Watch out
Then he said to them, “Watch out!--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A doctor saw his 92-year-old patient out one day with a very, very attractive, very much younger woman on his arm. And the old man said to his doctor, “Hey, doc, thanks for the great advice.” And the doctor said, “What advice was that?” And the old man said, “You told me to get a hot mama and be cheerful.” Doctor said, “No, I said you have a heart murmur; be careful.”
We need to be very careful not to just slide into our society’s definition of winning. Jesus warned this man that winning might not simply be getting a fair shake from his brother. Maybe winning was allowing his brother to keep the inheritance while maintaining a good relationship with him and the rest of the family.
If we’re not careful we can fall into the typical view of winning. Charlie Sheen has:
“For now, I'm just going to hang out with these two smoking hotties and fly privately around the world. It might be lonely up here, but I sure like the view.”--Charlie Sheen
Society says winning is sex and drugs and money and fame and…If you buy into that Charlie Sheen really is winning.
But Jesus says, “Watch out!” The standard societal definition of winning is dangerous.
2. Watch out for greed
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed…--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
There is something about money that pushes itself to the top of just about every definition of winning. Perhaps that’s why Jesus said:
You cannot serve both God and money.”--Luke 16:13 (NIV)
P.J. O’Rourke quipped: “If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for greed.”
Let’s be careful not to let money be the standard for winning.
3. Watch out for stuff
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. --Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A man was very much in love with a beautiful girl. One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses... one for each year of her life.
That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning. As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet. The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.
More stuff isn’t always better,
For years the America Dream was represented by owning your own home. That was the dream, until 2007 when it became more of a nightmare. The real estate market crashed, the foreclosure became a viable option and home ownership became, in many cases, an albatross.
4. Watch out for comfort
And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool!” --Luke 12:19 (NIV)
For years the American Dream--winning--was defined as home ownership. Times have changed, and we have a new definition: a fully funded retirement account. Winning is achieving that number your financial consultant gave you--the amount of savings we need in order to retire--to eat, drink and be merry.
Now, I’m all for savings and listening to the financial consultants. But is retiring to do nothing really the goal?
Paul said: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”--Colossians 3:23
"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.” ~Margaret Thatcher
A mother was explaining to her neighbor, “My son stays awake nights trying to figure out how to be successful. Now if only he’s stay awake days!” It seems that winning and working go hand in hand.
5. Get a rich relationship with God.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:21 (NLT)
Jesus defines winning not as fame or money or accumulation or leisure, but as living closely with God.
Later on in this chapter Jesus concluded:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
--Luke 12:31 (NLT)
Jesus concludes his talk on clarifying the win by, well, clarifying the win: winning is putting God first. Winning is putting God’s kingdom first. If we do that, God will give us all the societal perks, all the money, all the stuff and all the comfort we need.
I hope you are “Winning!”
Winning!!!"
There’s been a lot of talk about, “Winning!” lately with Charlie Sheen all over the news and now he’s even trying to copyright the phrase, “Duh. Winning!”
“Charlie Sheen is still a big story because, honestly, none of us know where Libya is.”
-- Jimmy Kimmel
Charlie Sheen this, Charlie Sheen that! I'm sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen!! Hmmm... maybe I'll change channels and watch this "Two and a Half Men" show.
But Charlie has raised a pretty good question: How Can I be a Winner?
Charlie’s ordeal, as sad as it seems, as crazy as it seems, also encourages us to look at what winning really is? And amazingly, Jesus addressed this “winning” issue:
Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:13-21 (NLT)
Jesus is interrupted by a man who felt he was being cheated by his brother. The man asks Jesus to set his brother straight, but Jesus has a different lesson in mind. Jesus tells a story with a clear message:
CLARIFY THE WIN
Jesus reminds all of us to clarify the win. Sometimes we think we are winning, when we aren’t really winning at all.
John Wooden said, “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”
And later on Jesus added: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’”—Luke 16:13-15
Patrick Lencioni in his classic book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:” says that “Inattention to results” is one of those dysfunctions--not understanding a win.
We need to clarify the win.
At age 3.... winning is....not wetting your pants.
At age 10... winning is…making your own meals At age 12... winning is....having friends. At age 16... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 20... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 35... winning is....having money. At age 55... winning is....having money. At age 70... winning is....having a husband/wife At age 75... winning is....having a drivers license. At age 80... winning is....having friends. At age 90... winning is…making your own meals At age 100... winning is....not wetting your pants.
Every year a famous bicycle race is held in India, and the goal of this race is to come in last. Cyclists, who are not allowed to touch the ground with their hands or feet, go as slowly as possible. A visitor who doesn’t know what winning is might pedal fast, reach the finish line and declare victory only to find they weren’t successful at all.
Unfortunately that type of thing happens all the time in our culture. Employees are fired and they confess, “I thought I was doing a great job.” Or an employee quits and moves to a competitor and the boss says, “I thought that person would stay here until she retired. I was shocked when she up and left.” It happens in marriages as well. “I thought we were happily married until she served me with divorce papers, announced she didn’t love me and confessed that maybe she never loved me.” “I thought everything was great in our marriage until he admitted he’d been having an affair and he wants to move out of the house.”
We can easily get caught up in the wrong definitions of success. We can think that we’re winning when we’re losing. We can reach the end of our rainbow and find no pot of gold. We can climb our ladders of success only to find its leaning against the wrong wall; we can gain our castle in Spain, only to find it has no plumbing.
Even as ministers we get caught up thinking winning is all about finances and fame when perhaps that really isn’t winning at all.
So here’s the question:
How Can I Clarify the Win?
Jesus offers several ideas on how to clarify the win.
1. Watch out
Then he said to them, “Watch out!--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A doctor saw his 92-year-old patient out one day with a very, very attractive, very much younger woman on his arm. And the old man said to his doctor, “Hey, doc, thanks for the great advice.” And the doctor said, “What advice was that?” And the old man said, “You told me to get a hot mama and be cheerful.” Doctor said, “No, I said you have a heart murmur; be careful.”
We need to be very careful not to just slide into our society’s definition of winning. Jesus warned this man that winning might not simply be getting a fair shake from his brother. Maybe winning was allowing his brother to keep the inheritance while maintaining a good relationship with him and the rest of the family.
If we’re not careful we can fall into the typical view of winning. Charlie Sheen has:
“For now, I'm just going to hang out with these two smoking hotties and fly privately around the world. It might be lonely up here, but I sure like the view.”--Charlie Sheen
Society says winning is sex and drugs and money and fame and…If you buy into that Charlie Sheen really is winning.
But Jesus says, “Watch out!” The standard societal definition of winning is dangerous.
2. Watch out for greed
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed…--Luke 12:15 (NIV)
There is something about money that pushes itself to the top of just about every definition of winning. Perhaps that’s why Jesus said:
You cannot serve both God and money.”--Luke 16:13 (NIV)
P.J. O’Rourke quipped: “If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for greed.”
Let’s be careful not to let money be the standard for winning.
3. Watch out for stuff
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. --Luke 12:15 (NIV)
A man was very much in love with a beautiful girl. One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses... one for each year of her life.
That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning. As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet. The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.
More stuff isn’t always better,
For years the America Dream was represented by owning your own home. That was the dream, until 2007 when it became more of a nightmare. The real estate market crashed, the foreclosure became a viable option and home ownership became, in many cases, an albatross.
4. Watch out for comfort
And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool!” --Luke 12:19 (NIV)
For years the American Dream--winning--was defined as home ownership. Times have changed, and we have a new definition: a fully funded retirement account. Winning is achieving that number your financial consultant gave you--the amount of savings we need in order to retire--to eat, drink and be merry.
Now, I’m all for savings and listening to the financial consultants. But is retiring to do nothing really the goal?
Paul said: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”--Colossians 3:23
"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.” ~Margaret Thatcher
A mother was explaining to her neighbor, “My son stays awake nights trying to figure out how to be successful. Now if only he’s stay awake days!” It seems that winning and working go hand in hand.
5. Get a rich relationship with God.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:21 (NLT)
Jesus defines winning not as fame or money or accumulation or leisure, but as living closely with God.
Later on in this chapter Jesus concluded:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
--Luke 12:31 (NLT)
Jesus concludes his talk on clarifying the win by, well, clarifying the win: winning is putting God first. Winning is putting God’s kingdom first. If we do that, God will give us all the societal perks, all the money, all the stuff and all the comfort we need.
I hope you are “Winning!”