真正的贏家
By: Dr. Rick Warren
不論在生活上、體育場上、職場上或是娛樂界，我們大家都很希望能當一個贏家。
尤其對工商人士來說，得到一紙很重要的合約、有很好的升遷或是加薪都能帶給我們快樂和滿足感。或是當我們看球賽的時候，即使身為觀眾，支持的球隊贏得勝利，我們也覺得自己贏了!還有一些人，即使只是在家裡玩遊戲都想要當贏家。
然而真正的贏家是什麼?是不是只是贏過別人或是得到比較多的分數?我們一起來看下面的解釋：
一個贏家敬重比他好的人，並且從他的身上學習，但一個輸家厭惡比他好的人並且合理化他的成就。 一個贏家解釋，但一個輸家解釋很多並且找藉口。 一個贏家說:我們必須找到解決的方法! 一個輸家說:沒有路可以走了! 一個贏家面對問題並且試著找到解決的方法，但一個輸家想辦法繞過問 題、避免面對問題。 一個贏家說:也許有更好的方法可以解決問題。一個輸家說:這個問題就這樣解決就好了! 一個贏家彌補他的錯誤以表達他的歉意。一個輸家說:我很抱歉!但是不段地犯同樣的錯誤。 一個贏家知道何時該爭戰何時該妥協，但一個輸家不當妥協時妥協，又為不值得的事物爭執。 一個贏家比輸家更勤奮工作，但總有多餘的時間，但一個輸家當遇到該做的事情時，總是說太忙。 一個贏家不怕輸，一個輸家卻害怕贏。 一個贏家做承諾並遵守承諾，一個輸家也做承諾但是卻忽略它們。聖經也挑戰我們對「得勝和失敗」的看法，例如使徒保羅告訴我們要隨時準備好迎接勝利，「豈不知在場上賽跑的都跑，但得獎賞的只有一人？你們也當這樣跑，好叫你們得著獎賞」 (哥林多前書9章24節) 。在另一節經文裡面，耶穌也警戒我們，有時我們表面上看起來好像贏了，但實際上我們輸了! 「人就是賺得全世界，賠上自己的生命，有甚麼益處呢？』(馬可福音8章36節)
以這兩段經文為基準，你覺得自己是贏家或是輸家?
© 2011, 標竿人生。版權所有.節錄自華理克牧師的專欄。華理克牧師是多產的作家，他最受好評的暢銷書是：標竿人生。標竿人生已被翻譯成多國語言並行銷全球。書中倡導生命中有一個清楚、有計畫的目標能引導每日生活的重要性。它也被選為改變二十世紀的一百本基督教書籍之一。他也是標竿教會一書的作者。
思想與問題討論
在讀今天的週一嗎哪之前，你對「贏家」一詞的解讀是什麼? 讀完今天華理克牧師對贏家的定義之後，你的想法是否有改變? 你覺得耶穌為什麼要說:「人就是賺得全世界，卻賠上自己的性命，有什麼益處呢? 」 根據華理克牧師所寫的十項「贏家和輸家」的特質對比，你覺得自己比較像贏家或是輸家?備註:如果你手上有聖經，想要知道更多與這個主題相關的經節，請參考下面的經節:
箴言6章20-23節、11章14節、 11章24節、 15章22節、 22章4節;馬太福音6章19-21節,33節; 腓立比書3章8節
WHAT CONSTITUTES A TRUE WINNER?
By Dr. Rick Warren
In every area of life, whether in the world of sports, the workplace, or in recreational activities, we enjoy the experience of being a winner.
Winning an important contract, earning a well-deserved promotion, or receiving a significant pay raise all can bring us much happiness and fulfillment as business and professional people. As spectators, we still feel like winners when our favorite sports team triumphs over its greatest rival. Many of us, even when playing casual games at home with family and friends, strive to be the winner.
But is that what being a “winner” truly means? Could it be that there is something more to winning than prevailing over a competitor, or scoring more points than your opponent does? Here are some thoughts about what a true winner is:
A winner… respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn something from them;
a loser… resents those who are superior and rationalizes their achievements.
A winner… explains;
a loser… explains away, making excuses.
A winner… says, “We must find a way”;
a loser… says, “There is no way.”
A winner… goes through a problem, working toward a solution;
a loser… tries to go around a problem, seeking to avoid it entirely.
A winner… says, “There should be a better way to do it”;
a loser… says, “That”s the way it has always been done here.”
A winner… shows he is sorry by making amends for it;
a loser… says “I”m sorry,” but repeats the same offense the next time.
A winner… knows what to fight for and what to compromise on;
a loser… compromises on what he should not, and fights for what is not worth fighting for.
A winner… works harder than a loser, and has more time;
a loser… is always “too busy” to do what is necessary.
A winner… is not afraid of losing;
a loser… is secretly afraid of winning.
A winner… makes and honors commitments;
a loser… makes promises – but then ignores them.
The Bible also offers some challenging thoughts about winning and losing. For instance, the apostle Paul wrote about the importance of becoming prepared to achieve victory: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). In another passage, Jesus warned about the risk of losing – even if you “win”: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Based on the thoughts above, which are you – a winner or a loser?
© 2012, Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved. Adapted from a column by Dr. Rick Warren, author of numerous books, including the highly acclaimed, The Purpose-Drive Life, which has been translated into many languages worldwide. It affirms the importance of a carefully considered, clearly expressed purpose to guide everyday life. It has been named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Before reading this week”s Monday Manna, what would have been your answer to the question, “What is a winner?” Now that you have read Dr. Warren”s thoughts, has your view of what a “winner” is changed at all? Explain your answer. What do you think Jesus meant when he spoke about someone that would “gain (or win) the whole world and lose his own soul”? Based on Dr. Warren”s contrasts showing what it means to be a winner and a loser, which would these comparisons say that you are?NOTE: If you have a Bible, consider these other passages that deal with this topic: Proverbs 6:20-23, 11:14, 11:24, 15:22, 22:4; Matthew 6:19-21,33; Philippians 3:8
