One of the best boxers to come out of Africa is arguably Azuma Nelson of Ghana. He won lots of world titles and defeated some of the world’s best in his weight category. In spite of his achievements, the major thing I vividly recall about him was one statement he made when he fought Jeff Fenech in the 90s. His statement, ‘No one can fight me twice and win’ has remained in my heart and thoughts for about two decades. When I watched the interview; I think it was a post match interview (I can’t remember exactly when it was), I was moved by his philosophy about life. In the depth of my heart, I said, ‘If everyone in life can imbibe the mentality of not being beaten twice, we will all be winners on earth’. It is not a sin to be beaten once, but what I don’t accept is being beaten twice. Some people are not just beaten twice, they are beaten to death. Being beaten to death is not always as a result of some jungle attitude. There are people who have allowed life to thrash them to the extent that they ended up in the trash. Ending up in the trash is a result of unwillingness to say no to the debacles of life. There are people who embrace failure not deliberately but by subtle acceptance of certain ugly circumstances. Disaster, ruin, fiasco, catastrophe, and calamity are only as strong as we permit them. The handcuffs of life can only bind you as long as you allow them. If a situation fights you twice and win, you must ask yourself what you’ve been doing with your life. Nothing repeats itself in your life without your permission. Nothing sustains itself in your home without you granting it access. Situations only ascend when they gain access. No fighter sits down and waits for an opponent to win without the element of cowardice. If you must win, you must fight. If you must ever fight, you must have the attitude of one who is stepping into the ring to win. If you allow that situation to beat you twice, it may as well continue beating you till you exit the stage. If you allow the circumstance fight you twice and win, it may never stop beating you until you go into coma. Anything can happen to a person in coma because he is no longer in control. To control your destiny, you must fight for your destiny. To be in charge, you must be charged up and rise up. No one fights sitting down. If you remain down, you may get drowned. You are not on earth to drown, so get up and get drawn into your inner strength born by the Holy Spirit and fight. Those who fight are never frightened; those who fight are never put to flight. You can’t run away from bullies when you are empowered by the Almighty God to be a winner. Sicknesses and diseases are bullies. Poverty is a bully. Fear is a bully. Many of the things that threaten your divine success on earth are bullies. You can’t be a lion and fear bulldogs; the righteous are as bold as lions. You must make up your mind that you can’t be beaten twice. Can anyone or anything fight you twice and win?
1Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fighting for your life is a good fight. Fighting for your destiny and vision is a good fight. Fighting for your family is a good fight. Fighting for your health, career and profession, education, and much more are good fights. No one has ever succeeded without a fight. No one has ever made it to the other side without a fight. No one has ever crossed the barrier of failure into the region of abundant life without a fight. If you think success will walk down to you, you must be joking. If you think abundance of good things will cross its banks to meet you in your comfort zone, you must be operating in self deception. Change only happens when people move for change. New life only comes when people go for new challenges. If you avoid the challenge, you will miss the mark of excellence. The mark of excellence can only be targeted by those who step into the terrains that cowards dread. If things must change, fight for change. If life must make a difference, start something different. Remaining in the status quo profits you nothing and takes you nowhere. Conditions that have changed only changed for people who went through audition. If you stand up, you’re bound to win. If you rise up, you’re bound to fly. If you wake up, you’re bound to live. If you stop making excuses, you’re bound to make it.
Lay hold on eternal life. Laying hold requires strength; laying hold requires all your energy and might. Those who want unending success must learn to use all their hearts, strength, and might to fight. The victory is already assured for those who know God, but those who know God must possess what has already been given to them. You can’t possess your possessions when you’re not willing and ready to step into the possession. To step into the possession, you must be ready to travel the distance. Travelling the distance is not enough, you must be willing to fight because in your possession are people who are not meant to be there. People who are not meant to be there always fight to remain there, so you must be strong and fight. People who are not meant to be there have lived there for ages, so they never want to leave. People who are not meant to be there have formed institutions in your possession, so are unwilling to vacate the territory; they are not even ready to co-habit. To chase out the inhabitants of your land, you must come with a winning mentality. If you come with a slave mentality, you will be defeated. Many people have been thrown out of their possessions because in their hearts, they are slaves. Many people have fought twice or more and lost because they never believed they could win. You can’t win a battle you think you will lose. Victory does not come by luck neither does it come by wishful thinking. Wishful thinkers never go to the battle grounds; they sit at home and believe that they have won.
Step out to the battle ground; fight the good fight of faith. You are a winner even before the fight. You can only take the medal of victory when you get out of indolence and fight for your possession. It may not be easy; still fight. It may take days, weeks, months, or years to conquer; still fight. Let no man, situation, or circumstance fight you twice and win.
1Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fighting for your life is a good fight. Fighting for your destiny and vision is a good fight. Fighting for your family is a good fight. Fighting for your health, career and profession, education, and much more are good fights. No one has ever succeeded without a fight. No one has ever made it to the other side without a fight. No one has ever crossed the barrier of failure into the region of abundant life without a fight. If you think success will walk down to you, you must be joking. If you think abundance of good things will cross its banks to meet you in your comfort zone, you must be operating in self deception. Change only happens when people move for change. New life only comes when people go for new challenges. If you avoid the challenge, you will miss the mark of excellence. The mark of excellence can only be targeted by those who step into the terrains that cowards dread. If things must change, fight for change. If life must make a difference, start something different. Remaining in the status quo profits you nothing and takes you nowhere. Conditions that have changed only changed for people who went through audition. If you stand up, you’re bound to win. If you rise up, you’re bound to fly. If you wake up, you’re bound to live. If you stop making excuses, you’re bound to make it.
Lay hold on eternal life. Laying hold requires strength; laying hold requires all your energy and might. Those who want unending success must learn to use all their hearts, strength, and might to fight. The victory is already assured for those who know God, but those who know God must possess what has already been given to them. You can’t possess your possessions when you’re not willing and ready to step into the possession. To step into the possession, you must be ready to travel the distance. Travelling the distance is not enough, you must be willing to fight because in your possession are people who are not meant to be there. People who are not meant to be there always fight to remain there, so you must be strong and fight. People who are not meant to be there have lived there for ages, so they never want to leave. People who are not meant to be there have formed institutions in your possession, so are unwilling to vacate the territory; they are not even ready to co-habit. To chase out the inhabitants of your land, you must come with a winning mentality. If you come with a slave mentality, you will be defeated. Many people have been thrown out of their possessions because in their hearts, they are slaves. Many people have fought twice or more and lost because they never believed they could win. You can’t win a battle you think you will lose. Victory does not come by luck neither does it come by wishful thinking. Wishful thinkers never go to the battle grounds; they sit at home and believe that they have won.
Step out to the battle ground; fight the good fight of faith. You are a winner even before the fight. You can only take the medal of victory when you get out of indolence and fight for your possession. It may not be easy; still fight. It may take days, weeks, months, or years to conquer; still fight. Let no man, situation, or circumstance fight you twice and win.