Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NLT) 

Many Christians live their lives as if it’s a lottery system. They hope someday their lucky number will be called and they will win big. Unfortunately it is not true. To win you have to run the race of life according to God’s guidelines.

In God’s kingdom everybody has equal opportunity. We don’t all have the same gifts, education, or background, but with God it doesn’t matter. His equality of opportunity is He wants to work through you to make up the difference. God has given you everything you need if you’ll work and seek Him out.

Here is one trait about winners I want to share with you today:

Winners Don’t Put Off Making the Hard Decisions. Losers Keep Putting Them Off Hoping They Will Go Away.

Hard decisions never go away. They just get harder to make as time goes along.

Winners say I’m going to pay the price now before it gets even harder. Winners realize the quicker I make the hard decision the easier it is in the long run. There are many decisions we have to make in life that are unpleasant, distasteful, and not fun, but winners say “O.K. I’ll do it.”

Let me tell you another characteristic of a winner. It is making a hard decision when it’s going to affect you negatively. That will show you the price you are willing to pay. Are you willing to follow God even when it affects you negatively? There have been many decisions I’ve had to make, many, and I know you have too in here, where it cost me, where it affected me negatively to do the right thing. It’s not fun. But winners do the right thing even if it costs you? Winners will also do what is right and not do what is popular.

What hard decisions do you have in front of you? My advice is simple but hard to live out: Make the decision to do what is right, now. You will be glad as soon as you do it!