Intimidated? No reason for that

Some who know me, particularly those who have worked closely with me, are intimidated of me to no end. I suppose they think that I am too gruff and tough. Perhaps that perception comes from my demeanor when it comes to winning versus losing. I definitely do not ever desire to lose at anything and my simplistic approach is that anybody who gets in the way of winning should get out of the way. I have a “take no prisoners” demeanor in that regard.

I suppose that I am indeed more intensely committed to achieving goals and objectives than most people, (perhaps even more so than anyone that most people know). Sure I go after my goals, spiritual, family, career, health, personal, or otherwise, with total reckless abandon; however that is no reason to be intimidated of me. The Bible tells us to emulate our Lord in that respect. Basically I am a joyously happy, totally optimistic person. It is my view that everyone should develop a winning attitude similar to mine, join the winning Army, and be joyously happy and optimistic too. By so doing, not a single person will be intimidated of anyone or anything, (much less me).

In my mind it is rather simple. If someone is a loser they will not even be happy, much less “joyously”- happy and optimistic. I should know, at one point in my life I was a loser at just about everything and was “miserable”- unhappy, and very negative.

One might ask, “What is the key to happiness?” I read somewhere the other day that there is no “key” to happiness, and that we should not even look for a “key” to it, because the door to happiness is always unlocked. Jesus Christ unlocked that door for us when He died on the cross and forgave our sins, and even today is constantly standing at the door awaiting our decision to come through to provide a “winner’s welcome” to all who come to Him. Before I went through that door, I was miserable-unhappy and negative. Now I am joyously-happy and optimistic. It is not coincidence. Jesus is a winner in every facet of the word and we should emulate him. He did not give up when the going got tough, and neither should we. He fought through the most fiercely fought battle that ever raged or ever will rage all of the way to the bitter conclusion and arose to be the winner by total knockout against death, sin, and misery.

Once we have Jesus as our Savior, the pursuit of winning should be a way of life for us, because each win leads to joyful happiness and the result of that is optimism. One of the Beatles sang, “Happiness is a warm gun”. Those lyrics were no doubt drug induced and had another meaning to the writer, but allegorically I suppose one could equate happiness to a gun being used in a battle in a war. We must use whatever weapons and guns that we have at our disposal, (faith, prayer, Bible study, church, fellowship with other believers), to fight our way towards happiness against a powerful foe, (satan). Satan wants us to be a loser like he is and as a result be unhappy and negative about everything all of the time. His eventual outcome is going to be bleak and it should come as no surprise that he is miserable unhappy and negative himself.

I don’t dwell on losers like him and instead focus on winning. I focus on winning! With Jesus as my Commander in Chief I am totally optimistic about the war of life and I know that winning leads to joyful-happiness. Someone once said that, “War is hell!”. In humanity’s case, “hell” is losing the war for our souls. Yes we will fight raging battles and sometimes it will not be pleasant, but in the end comes the reward.

So with all of this rambling I am asking of you TODAY to “fight” with all you have, take no prisoners, and don’t you dare even think about quitting. We are close to victory and can already smell the sweet aroma coming from the roses encircling the winner’s circle to all who win the race of faith. Now that should make anyone optimistic!

Heb. 12:1
Therefore we also, since we
are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set
before us,
looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God.