WINNERS AND LOSERS

All of life can be characterized between winners and losers. It is always better to be on the side of the winners long term. Question, Why be a loser? What advantage is there in this? Winners are always determined by competence. Losers are always incompetent. There is no getting around this. Winners never give up and losers give up easily. The old saying is that winners never quit and quitters never win. How true.

Adversity is something which we all of us face each and every day. Most days, not everything goes the way we want it go. Trials and temptations are designed, not to weaken us, but to strengthen us. We are to grow stronger, not weaker. This is the crucible where the metal of faith is completed. The mass of humanity is content with being mediocre. In fact, this is their middle name. They do nothing to try to improve their present conditions. They put forth no effort to be over comers. They are content with the status quo. Their mantra is that this is the way things are and there is nothing you can do about it.

The market economy is made of winners and losers. Winners reap the rewards and losers declare bankruptcy. The market economy is comprised of competition. Competition forces those who enter the market to perform at their best or be thrown out with the rest of the trash. It separates the proverbial wheat from the chaff. Only the competent survive. This means that quality improves, and does not decrease.

Quantity is good, but quality is better. You can have a whole lot of something that is nothing more or less than junk or you can have few of something that has value. Something which has value in our day is oil. Oil is the most valuable commodity of our day. It is more valuable than diamonds or gold. It is something that we cannot do without. It effects our daily lives. The question is why not let the oil companies win? We all would be better off for it.

The only legitimate market that the government has a monopoly on is law enforcement. They are to protect our market economy from evildoers. This is their paramount function. They, however, decided that they need to be God. They have the arrogance to believe that they are omniscient and have a reality show called "Government Knows Best." Government does not know what is best for me when it comes to the market. They are to protect the righteous and good people in their daily market transactions and punish evildoers.

Being able to compete has behind it the concept of competence. From a Biblical point of view, competition and competence are best illustrated in the following parable found in Matthew 25:14-30, "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Two were proficient and one was inefficient.

Those who were successful, in this parable, followed an economic law of economies of scale. They put their talents to their highest use and were able to increase their holdings. The Lord commends them for their expenditure of effort. Now the market is better off because of their labors. The one that hid his talent did not want to compete. He was satisfied with the status quo. The market was harmed not benefitted by his actions. The Lord calls him an unprofitable servant. He was satisfied with mediocrity. To be mediocre is to be wasting valuable limited resources. These people are losers.

Christians are to be exceptional in all that they put their hands to. The Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 9:61-62, "And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Once we become Christians there is nothing to look back to in our former lives. It is only forward and upward. This means that our skills i.e. competence, should be increasing in our callings. Christ does not accept losers, only winners. Which are you?