All of you know that in this life we will be tested and if you can take it – you will make it.  Think about a cruise ship. They are built to withstand adverse weather conditions because their journeys take them through the wind, rain and all types of storms.  They would go out of business if every time bad weather conditions arose, they had to turn back to port.  Ships are built to endure, they are solid.  They have everything they need to keep sailing.  They can take it, so they make it – they just keep right on going.  How many times have you heard a Christian say ‘I can’t take it anymore?’  The truth is, how much you can take determines your success or failure.  If you are able to take discouragement, even failure, and not let it stop you from trying again, you will always win.  You must have a will to win, and your will to win will cause you to get up every day, get back in the game and try again.

Winners spend their time building dreams while quitters spend their time criticizing those who have not given up.  Winners focus on the things they must do to win while quitters focus on things that make them think they can’t win.  Winners see obstacles in their way as hurdles – they don’t stop, they just jump right over them.  They condition themselves to take it and that is why they make it!  The primary goal of a winner is to win so they take the word ‘can’t out of their vocabulary.  The person who never believes that he is defeated is not defeated. His ‘I can make it’ attitude is evidence that he isn’t through fighting yet.  There will always be people who will say that something can’t be done and, unfortunately, if you believe you can’t – you won’t!  We are limited by what we tell ourselves and our performance is based on what we believe.

A winner knows how to pace himself; he knows when it’s time to slow down and regroup and he knows when it is time give it all he’s got.  A winner believes that if one thing doesn’t work, he must try something else.  A loser believes that if one thing doesn’t work it can’t be done.  A winner takes risks; a winner sees setbacks as opportunities to try something new.  A loser sees setbacks as a sign that it’s time to stop trying.  It is your responsibility to have a winning attitude and your winning attitude will keep you in the game in life.  The winning attitude you need today may just be the attitude of one who refuses to quit, refuses to give up, refuses to lie down and let life run you over.  Jesus has fixed the race you are in – you have already won because the enemy of your soul has been defeated.  If you can take it – you will make it!