Looser Takes All

Do you remember who lost the last World Series, or the last World Cup? How about the runner up in a beauty pageant, or a music contest?

"Winner takes all" pervades our thoughts. People admire winners, look up to winners, and reward winners.

But there's one activity in life where the looser takes all. And that's the person who fails to live in love, unity, and peace. That's the person who lives in strife.

Look what God's Word says...

James 3:16 - For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (KJV)

The person living in envying and strife gets EVERY EVIL WORK! Looser takes all! Here's other translations:

• all sorts of evil and vile practices (Amp)
• every evil thing (NAS)
• every evil practice (NIV)

This man's life is a wreck. Home life, work, every activity is overcome with evil things, works, and practices.

This table summarizes this life.

Need further proof? Then consider this:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 - And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (KJV)

Read the last line again. Taken captive by the devil - AT HIS WILL. The devil - the evil one - takes this man captive when he wills, how he wills.

STRIFE - LOOSER TAKES ALL!