-----He gave me this gift even though He had to sacrifice His earthly life in the process. Christ died for me! But His life didn't end there! God's Holy Spirit raised Him from the grave and has been living in me ever since I first understood and believed this.
-----My personal value system regards integrity higher in value than personal gain. Without integrity, winning is a very empty and meaningless victory. How could I possibly feel good about myself if I am knowingly deceiving others? I try to win every time I'm challenged, but to me... winning by resorting to deception is never worth damaging the trust that others have in me.
-----I want people to trust me. This is very important to me and I believe it is very important to God. After all, He has invested a lot in me, and He expects (and deserves) a solid return on that investment. One day, after this life is over, I will face my Lord and give Him an accounting for how I conducted my life. -----Not because my relationship with Him hangs in the balance, but because He invested in me for a very important purpose! He expects through my word and my daily actions that others will see His Spirit at work in me, and perhaps want to have a personal relationship with Him for themselves.
-----So I do my level best to keep my life clean, and free of deception (and other types of waste), so I can show Him that His investment in me has been a good one. When I do meet Him, I do hope to hear Him say "Well done...” I can't think of anything I'd rather hear at the end of this journey.

-----While most of the time my life rarely measures up to my daydreams, there’s a larger reality that keeps my life in proper perspective.
-----My personal significance does not ride on the tails of my successes or failures, nor is it found in money or possessions. Real significance in my life is about living with honesty and integrity.
-----It's about living true to my convictions. And conviction #1 for me is that Jesus Christ purchased my life by His death on the cross, and because of this incredible sacrifice on His part, I choose to honor Him with how I live my life.
-----Because Christ gave his life for me, the Bible says I will be in His presence forever. And because He gave me the gift of His life, I know that I am loved and that my life, right here and now, has real significance. I don't have to prove that I am important to anyone else in the world, because I know I am important to my Maker!
-----Knowing this, I am free to live my life without pretences or the need to gain fame, victory, or have advantage over others. This does not mean that I don't play to win; I am a serious competitor and I strive to win in everything I do! The certainty of my security frees me to live my life without ulterior motives or secret agendas. This gives me the freedom to enjoy seeing others "win" at something even if their winning means that I won't. The way I figure it, I'm already a winner. ----- ----- ----- --Not because I'm particularly talented or intelligent, but because Christ loved me enough to pay the entire debt that I owe to God for breaking His laws.

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