Win From Within by John Gray

2020, book 2: “Winning is building something that is so significant that it is multicultural, multigenerational, and multi-denominational.” — John Gray

Finished on January 9, 2020

A book that was part of the holiday sale, I loved the description and the experience that he had to undergo in his life. I knew a little about John Gray but not too much. One of my mentors shared a little more and was unsure about his state of heart after what happened with his wife — there was a case of some infidelity. I appreciated how in-depth he went in this book about that series of events and the resulting impacts.

In the beginning, this was the first thing that I highlighted and made a note of for myself. It’s black and white here. A relationship is real or it’s not. Period.

It a friend or loved one doesn’t make you mad on ocasión with their assessment of something you have done, the relationship is likely not real.

Obedience. Obedience. Obedience.

“Do you understand that it’s impossible to please God in any way other than wholehearted surrender?” — Francis Chan

If God says hey come see me at 4:58am on one day and come spend time with me at 12 noon the next day, we need to be available.

Mmmmm is this ever good. This is so IMPORTANT. We will NOT always be able to make the right decision. But God PROMISES a way out of any situation.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

Pay close attention to that verse though. He will allow us to ENDURE it. NOT get us out, but allow us to endure it.

So many people live a life of regret because they made permanent decisions in a moment of temporary discomfort or hunger. When you have a weary soul in any area, the devil will attack abs send things to you, but nothing is the spiritual eternal thing you truly need unless it comes from God.

Wow. The author gave the example of Samson and his parents and that is a perfect example. Judges 14 (linked here).

Weak parents and gifted kids are a DANGEROUS situation, see Judges 14.

The more you give glory to God, the more that the devil sends at you. That’s how it is. We need to be aware of all things always. The enemy is always prowling. In the book of Job, it says this about the devil.

“The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” — Job 1:7 NIV

Satan is PROWLING the earth. The Bible says in the book of John (linked here) that the enemy comes to steal and kill and destroy. We must prepare. We must be ready, we must be in tune with God and who He created us to be.

The enemy uses our weariness to attack our identity. If you are going to produce glory, there are going to be attacks from the enemy. Period. The devil can’t stand for God to get glory si if he sees the potential for glory, he’s going to attack it while you are weak. He will attack wherever you have a weakness. He is looking to see if you have allowed your exhaustion from life to distract you from your end goal. He’s been doing this for thousands of greats, as with Jesus in the wilderness.

This is what matters most. God will either lead us to things or lead us away from things. An obstacle may be a roadblock and a perceived roadblock may be simply an obstacle. Prepared on purpose. Love it. Does what you’re doing honor God? There is no gray area there, period.

John recalls that there have been numerous times that people have told him that he’s so funny he should go to Hollywood and do stand up. He shares that yes, maybe he could make hundreds of people laugh at a comedy club but he can also bring the joy of the Lord into the sanctuary on a Wednesday night or Sunday morning. Often, many things that look like God opportunities and open doors, are not. We must be discerning in our lives because counterfeit options and opportunities are always waiting to take us off track. We shouldn’t get sad or concerned that people don’t see our work right now. God is going to allow people at the right moment to see what you’re doing and at the right moment, He is going to shift you into overdrive; we must stay faithful though. That’s what it means to be prepared on purpose.

I’ll add this quote again because it’s most important here:

“Do you understand that it’s impossible to please God in any way other than wholehearted surrender?” — Francis Chan

Ambition will always cost you if you don’t submit. We must submit our ambitions to God.

“What does a person look like who learns to live one day at a time with a backdrop of eternity in view?” — Ravi Zacharias

“It’s sobering to contemplate how much time, effort, sacrifice, compromise, and attention we give to acquiring and increasing our supply of something that is totally insignificant in eternity.” — Anne Graham Lotz

We have to keep an eye on eternity while still remaining honorable with the things we have to do on earth.

This is the goal of my life. My full potential and nothing less. God created each and every one of us for a divine purpose. We are all special. We all have specific ordained purposes, let’s get them. In the name of God, let’s pursue all that we were created for on this earth.

“Make a commitment to die empty. Don’t die anointed, die dry. Die exhausted. Leave nothing in the grave. When you die, be able to say that without a doubt, everything you were created to do, you did it. I don’t want to get to heaven and God says, ‘What are you doing here? But you got here early because you didn’t take care of your body.’ Our temples house the purpose of God, we must be good stewards of the purpose God placed down in us. We ALL have a personal responsibility to help God get the maximum glory out of our lives.”

Amen. This is winning. Building for the kingdom and nothing less. We all experience letdowns, failures, and disappointments. But, God can and will use every single thing that we do — good or bad. Everything can be used for God’s good. Period.

“Winning is building something that is so significant that it is multicultural, multigenerational, and multi-denominational.” — John Gray