The Winning Attitude

“The (1) WILLING (heart) and (2) OBEDIENT will eat the good of the Land (have good success)” (Isa 1:19). This reveals 2 KEYS to VICTORY: (1) a willing, submitted heart to God - the key to connecting with His grace. We access His grace thru a humble heart of faith. (2) Obedience from a willing heart. When we hear His voice so we know His will, and receive His grace to do it, then we must obey with all our heart, refusing to quit, however hard or impossible it seems, until it's done. That’s the winner’s attitude. *KEY 1: If something doesn't start from God, then we're not operating under His grace; it’s not His work, for His glory, but our work, for our glory. If it’s from God, His grace is with us and it will be for His glory. There's a difference between good & God, between what seems good to man, and what is from God. If you seek and connect with God, by coming to Him and submitting to His authority, then you'll hear His voice, know His will and receive His grace to do it. We can only access His grace by bowing to His authority. If we don't come to God with a willing heart (to hear & do what He wants us to do), we'll end up doing un-commanded works, that have less value in His sight (1Sam 15:22). We must SEEK God for HIMSELF, out of love. Seek to know Him and be filled with His grace and be satisfied by Him. If you SEEK God, just to get something from Him, then you're using Him as a means to an end, and what you want is more important than God - idolatry (John 6:26,27). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (His righteous life within us thru His Spirit, causing us to live to His glory), for they shall be filled” (Matt 5:6). When we trust in His love for us, that He wants our best, we can come to Him in faith and submit to Him (letting go of our idols, committing our plans to Him and giving up our control), knowing He'll pour out His grace on us and give us all things we need. We don't need to worry about the future outcome, if we surrender to Him, as we can be sure His grace will flow into us and uphold us. Our confident faith in His love enables us to let go of all idols & agendas (natural things we trust in for our security, satisfaction & meaning) and submit to Him. When we (1) HONOUR (reverence) Him and surrender to Him (as One far above us) we ACTIVATE His GRACE, for it flows from the throne of grace (Heb 4:16), and He gives it to a submitted heart (Prov 3:34, Jas 4:6, 1Pet 5:5). Then (2) we can then lay hold of His grace by faith. So, we access grace thru a humble heart of faith. Our love activates His grace, and our faith receives it (Gal 5:6). When we surrender our HEART into His HAND, His SPIRIT manifests in our heart as Rivers of Grace: “The kings heart is in the Hand of the Lord (His Holy Spirit) - Rivers of Water. He turns it (our heart) wherever He wishes” (Prov 21:1). We must yield control for His grace to flow. Esther found favour in the king's sight and activated his grace by honouring him, so that he held out to her His GOLDEN SCEPTRE, representing His grace flowing to her from his authority. Then she went near to the king on his throne and touched the top of the Sceptre, and received his grace by faith (5:1-3). *2 KEYS to VICTORY and SUCCESS in God: (1) Connect with God & receive His grace, by coming to Him with a humble, willing, believing heart. (2) Once you know His will, do it with all your heart – refuse to quit, however hard or impossible it seems. Key 2 is illustrated in the story of Elisha & King Joash (2Kings 13:14-25). Elisha told him to take a BOW and ARROWS and put his hand on the bow, and Elisha (representing God) put his hands on the king’s hands (v15-16). God’s anointing was now on the king. Then he told him to open the window facing Syria and SHOOT; and he SHOT. Elisha said: “The ARROW of the Lord’s DELIVERANCE from Syria, for you MUST STRIKE the Syrians at Aphek (and keep striking them) UNTIL you've DESTROYED them (until the job is done)” (v17). This is the WINNER’S ATTITUDE. Then he told the king: “Take the arrows and STRIKE the ground”; so, he STRUCK 3 TIMES and STOPPED. Elisha (representing God) was ANGRY with him, saying: “You should have STRUCK 5 or 6 TIMES; then you'd have STRUCK Syria until you DESTROYED it! But now you'll STRIKE Syria only 3 TIMES” (v18-19). His attitude should have been dictated by God’s command in v17. God was angry, as he was HALF-HEARTED, stopping after only 3 STRIKES, when he should have continued until he knew the job was done. The WINNER’S ATTITUDE is to keep striking (attacking) until you've won. As a result of this partial obedience he only got a partial victory (v25). Heb 10:38. Jesus our greatest example of the WINNER’S ATTITUDE was wholehearted in fulfilling His mission to defeat all our enemies and save us. He kept doing God’s will every day, until He accomplished our full salvation. He didn't quit, but went to the Cross, and then rose victorious from the dead!