WILL YOU BE THE NEXT ROCKY OR CINDERELLA STORY?

Learning how to fight and win!

     As someone who attempts to make work ministry and ministry work, I recognize that God can bless anything and will provide unmerited grace and mercy, yet generally to fully thrive in life, body, mind, or spirit, you have to know what you’re doing. Therefore, one of my favorite joke/parables is this one: A priest and a rabbi go to a boxing match. Before the match starts, one of the fighters does a Catholic blessing by crossing himself. The rabbi sees this and asks the priest, “What’s that for?” To which the priest replies, “It ain’t for nothing if the boy don’t know how to fight!” 
   Did you ever wonder, if God is in control, why are there successful drug dealers that live to a ripe old age, dying happy and with a mass of possessions while God’s people sometimes live their lives with only suffering and poverty? 
   It’s the eternal question, “Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people?” Listen; bad people pay the piper—and whether it’s in this life or the next one, the unrepentant drug dealer will pay for what he’s done. And for the Christ follower, they eventually will be the winners. Yet, shouldn’t God’s people win more on earth than the next guy? The answer is “yes,” but only if they know how! 
   Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” ( John 10:10). The term “to the full” is the Greek word perisso. It means: “exceeding something, something more, go further, superadded, superiority, extraordinary, remarkable, and superior advantage.” Full is what we should expect. It doesn’t mean a billion dollars, A-list status, a mansion on the beach, or being married to a super model. Although none of that would be bad! There also could be suffering. We should, however, see God’s power working in our lives and see victories. 
   You have the advantage. Jesus also said in John 10:10 that before there’s perisso, there’s “the thief who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy” to stop extraordinary living. The devil is real and like Mick said to Rocky in Rocky II, “You’re going to be swapping punches with the most dangerous fighter in the world.” If you don’t know how to fight, you’re going to take a beating, lose twelve rounds to zero, or worse—get knocked out early. 
     I love the Rocky story. He starts out a bum, he’s repeatedly beaten in the ring and in life, but despite all appearances, we learn that he actually has a champion inside of him. The story really pertains to all of us. We’re all blessed to be winners, but we’re losers if we’re not committed and don’t know what we’re doing. Like many people, Rocky has the potential, but the mental, emotional, and physical skills must be developed or the beatings continue. 
    It would have been really cool if Christ came into his life and turned it around, but we have to settle for Mick. Mick is no Jesus, but Jesus can work through just about anybody. When Rocky finally sees opportunity, his mind-set changes, and he begins to train like a champion. He’s given the right training plan by this wise old trainer, commits to the plan, and the champion within comes out. 
   Could you be getting better results than you are right now? Are you stuck on the proverbial docks of life living below your potential? 
   You do have something great, a champion, something more than enough inside you. Enormous possibilities are there for you—you are somebody! Whatever you dream of accomplishing right now with your life and your lifestyle, the fact is: YOU CAN! It’s time to start saying, “I can be a champion!” This is not said to psych yourself up temporarily, but as a commitment to becoming one by not just having the will, but developing the skill.
   It’s said that, “The greatest loss isn’t dying. The greatest loss is what dies inside you while you’re still alive.” Kill the bum, but don’t let the champion in you die.
   Don’t let the drug dealer be the successful one. Good must rise up if evil is to back down. We don’t just do it with enthusiasm alone, but through learning, training, and finding a wise old coach.

With God (and developing the necessary skills) all things are possible,

Dr. Ben
#cccmovement