Beyond Winning and Losing
Focus matters. I noticed this when I was a student, and I’ve seen it hundreds of times since I started teaching college. When you focus on points and grades, you tend to miss the learning, and you often fail the achieve the points/grades anyway. When you focus on learning, the points and grades tend to take care of themselves.
The same thing tends to happen with dollars. People who won’t do something unless or until they get paid for it never develop the skill and excellence required so that others will pay them. “They don’t pay me enough to do that” almost inevitably means you will never get paid enough to do that, whatever “that” is.
I learned this wisdom growing up in a farming community. Though my immediate family didn’t farm, I was surrounded by farmers, and I noticed that it didn’t work to demand a harvest before planting seeds.
Today’s verse complements another.
Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. (Matt. 6:33, NCV)
It just makes sense, if you stop and think about it. Put first things first.
All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will save them. (Luke 9:24, CEB)
Peace.