Be a Champion

Have you ever embarked on something you believed you were supposed to do but then stopped once you experienced a little opposition? Giving up may seem like the easiest route to take when difficulties arise, but perseverance will lead to a great victory if you stay focused on your goal. You can be a champion in the midst of challenges. There was a game with two of the biggest college football rivals, the University of California and Stanford University, play in what is known only as The Big Game, in 1982. With four seconds left on the clock in the final quarter of the game and Stanford leading 20-19 over California, it looked like California didn’t have a chance to win. Everyone thought that Stanford had won the game, including their own band, which had began to come out on the field to celebrate even though the game hadn’t been officially called by the referees. Yet, the California Golden Bears persevered by plowing through tackle after tackle and then through the opponents’ marching band to score the winning touchdown! If California had allowed the obstacles and the marching band to get in the way of reaching their goal, they would never have won the game (25-20) or performed one of the greatest plays in all of sports history. What obstacles are you allowing to hinder you from pursuing your goals? Better yet, what goals have you set? It’s time for you to step out of your comfort zone and set goals that you have been too afraid to pursue. Do you want to start your own business, further your education, or get out of debt? After deciding on a few goals you want to obtain, write them down. Habakkuk 2:2-3 (AMP) says, “Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come.” Once your goals are written out, set a timeline of when you want to reach them, such as one month, three months, six months or a year, and celebrate small steps. For example, if your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight or pay off one of your debts by a particular date and you reach your goal, do something nice for yourself. On the other hand, don’t worry if you don’t reach a certain goal by the specified time. Just reevaluate the goal and the steps you are taking to reach it, then set a new target date. Be sure to place your list of goals where you’ll be able to see them every day to keep you focused. Then pursue them diligently. The most important tool you can have to obtain your victory is having confidence in—God and in yourself. Think about the football players for the University of California. They could have given up when there were only four seconds left in the game. But they had confidence in their ability to win the game, and they did. Now think of how much more you can accomplish, knowing that God is on your side! With God and the knowledge of His Word inside of you, nothing is impossible for you. No matter how things appear, don’t allow circumstances or situations to move you from trusting in God (Psalm 16:8). Your confidence in Him will bring you great reward (Hebrews 10:35), and with diligence, patience and a can-do attitude, you too can be a champion in life!