07/29/2025
As most of my followers know, Annie and myself have had one heck of a year this year… We’ve won many trials. We’ve won Dog of the Year Titles in two different associations. We also won a National Championship in the MSSA. This is a first National title for me. And it was a great feeling to win that. But it has also been laid on my heart to write a devotion on the subject of competition and winning..
Competition is something I love.. when it comes to working border collies there isn’t much I love more than going to a trial and hanging out with friends and running my dogs. I haven’t always been a winner. Matter of fact I have lost a lot more than I’ve won. But as this little female Annie was close to being finished in her training, I just knew that she was going to be great.. And when it came time to break her out for competition it didn’t take long for her to find her way to the winners circle. It sure felt good to consistently be at the top of the results with her. Time and time again we were at the top. And after each win it felt good for a short time. Then we were ready for another..
Just before going to the MSSA National Finals as most know we had to go through some serious adversity. But with God on our side we made it through.. Just a day or two before we left for MSSA National Finals we had breakfast with our old pastor and good friend George Marty Brock to catch up on life, talk about God and discuss how great He is and His will for us.. I told George that morning something that had been on my mind. I told him “Brother George, after all the winning Annie and I have done this year, there is no win that could ever bring me the fulfillment and the joy that Jesus Christ has brought to my heart.”
And that is the truth. I’ve always wanted to be a winner.. It’s always been important to me.. And now that I have been a winner, I’ve realized that it’s not as important or as fulfilling as I thought it was… Is it still important?? Yes I believe so.. But nowadays, it has a completely different importance to me… Now it is only important so that I can bring Glory to God, and to be a witness for Him. To show how no amount of winning can ever come close to the joy that the Lord can bring to a person…
So my message to fellow competitors…. My message to other winners… My message to those working tirelessly to become winners…. There is a void in people…. A void that we try to fill by winning. A void we try to fill by being a top competitor. A void we try to fill by trying to impress people… NO AMOUNT OF WINNING CAN EVER FILL IT!!
It is a void that we constantly thirst for but can never quench it on our own… Only through Jesus Christ can we quench the thirst and fill the void.
The Bible says in John 4:13-14 (Jesus speaking to the woman at the well)
“13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The water here represents two different things… The water that Jesus speaks of in verse 13 represents earthly water, or the temporary nature of earthly satisfaction (the winning we work so hard for, or the void we seek to fill with earthly things.)
The water Jesus speaks of in verse 14 represents the Holy Spirit, and the refreshment that comes from a relationship with God..
The living water from Jesus Christ is what we ALL NEED to fill the void. And through Jesus Christ is the only way we can get it!! Through the blood that Jesus shed for you and I on the old rugged cross..
All we have to do is admit we are all sinners, in need of a savior(Jesus), believe that Jesus died for us and was raised from the grave three days later, and repent(turn) from our sins and commit our lives to Him!! It’s that easy!! Don’t wait. Please feel free to message me if you’d like me to pray with you about it!!
And if you’ve already given your life to Him and received the living water say AMEN! 🙏🏼❤️
