The world taught you that the first person across the finish line is the winner. Jesus teaches us that the last person across the finish line wins. Mat 20:16 (NIV) So the last will be first, and the first will be last. Rather than being trained on how to beat the competition, Jesus will be teaching you how to produce win/win situations for all who are involved. If you are going to win in Jesus’ race, you will be spending your time helping everyone else across the finish line. Then once you have made sure everyone else is across the finish line, you will cross the line last and win.

You were taught to save your resources, invest them, use them on and for yourself, and make sure no one was able to steal them from you. But, Jesus will be teaching you how to have money, possessions, positions, power, popularity, prestige, pleasure, and accomplishments so you can invest them in people. Luke 6:38 (NIV) GIVE, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In the world, you are your own resource; if you do all the right things, you will get rich or possess all kinds of special resources. But, when God is your supply, things work very differently in this world and in eternity.

Phil 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet ALL your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Jesus will be teaching you how to tap into all the resources and provisions of God. In the world, if you don’t have what other people want, they won’t do business with you, be your friend, or associate with you. YOU are responsible for making sure you can provide the products and services others desire. In God’s world, if you grow spiritually, He will meet ALL your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. You won’t be rich by hording, keeping, protecting, and saving; but, you will be wealthy by creating win/win relationships with yourself and those around you.

In the world, no one wants to be a sheep; they want to be a lion, a bear, or a tiger. If they can’t be one of those, they want to at least be a porcupine, a turtle, a skunk, or a gazelle. However, in God’s world, the best thing you can be is a sheep; because, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. In Jesus’ world, if you will give up all your own defense mechanisms, He will provide you all HIS protection. A shepherd ONLY protects and provides for sheep.

In the world, you had better be pretty smart, clever, and alert. You had better know what you are doing, who your friends are, where to invest your time, effort, and money, and how to make good decisions. But, in Jesus’ world, you can connect with the One Who HAS ALL knowledge, all foreknowledge of the future, all understanding of everything, and all wisdom on how to apply all knowledge and understanding. Isa 55:8-9 (NIV) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” This puts you in a VERY advantageous place for winning here on earth and in eternity.

In the world, you learn you can’t go around trusting people. You have to be very cautious; everyone has to be guilty until PROVEN innocent. If you are gullible, naïve, and trusting, you will probably get cheated, fooled, taken advantage of, and hurt. Jesus will teach you how to use God’s love to give people a chance to prove themselves. He will show you how to give people small assignments that reveal their character and integrity. He will give you His insights into their heart that will help you know who to trust and who to avoid.

1 John 4:1-3 (NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. One of the main issues for trusting people has to do with their spiritual condition. Jesus will be teaching you how to diagnose the people around you.

As you can see, we all have a lot of unlearning and learning so we can succeed in Christianity and Jesus’ world. To be a child of God, principles, procedures, systems, and methods are quite different from what we were taught and learned. The physical world around us has worked a certain way. Now Jesus is saying that, if we apply spiritual systems and principles to it, it will function based on those things He and the Bible teach you. However, you currently trust those things the world has taught you. You believe in yourself; you are applying competitive systems; you are your own best friend; you are doing your best to run your own life; and you are protecting yourself. It is impossible to win a this life and in your eternal life by applying the rules of your body, the world, and the devil.