Last night history was made.
Peyton Manning led his Denver Broncos back from the largest deficit in Monday Night History while playing the Chargers in San Diego.
When the game went into halftime, Philip Rivers had his team up 24 points and looking like the game was in hand.
When they came out of halftime, Peyton Manning took over on the first drive. He came out fighting and led his team back to victory by scoring 35 unanswered points. The most ever on any Monday Night Game and tied the record for the largest comeback in NFL history.
After the game a reporter asked; “What kind of speech did you give at halftime to motivate your team to pull this off?”
Peyton without missing a beat said; there isn’t a speech in the world that can produce this type of action, it is pure will.
As soon as I heard that statement I knew how true it was.
I was sitting on a treadmill grinding away at one of my daily resolutions, and knew no speech was going to make me get up and go to the gym, it was just pure will. I also knew that when it came to someone speaking out on succeeding in life, Peyton knew what he was talking about.
Ok, he wasn’t talking about succeeding in life, but there are some parallels that can be made.
Succeeding In Life Takes More Than Speeches.
Speeches have a shelf life. They may motivate you in the moment, but those moments quickly fade away.
Peyton knew this. He could fire his team up at halftime but when the first series of downs were played, that speech was done. It would take something much more than the high of a motivating speech to get them the win.
With age I have learned it is through sacrifice and determination that compels us to be more than we ever dreamed.
Succeeding In Life Takes Three Things.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains why only a few achieve lasting success: “Man is a wonderful creature; he is mind, he is heart, and he is will. Those are the three main constituents of man. God has given him a mind; He has given him a heart; He has given him a will whereby he can act.”
Transforming one’s life, then, requires the whole person to be involved— his mind, his heart, and his will must be engaged in the process. True change isn’t just a mental (mind) assent, isn’t just an emotional (heart) experience, and is more than just regimented (will) learning.
It takes all three things to come together to produce any lasting results. Or as scripture speaks of, a fruit that lasts.
To Be Transparent
When it comes to succeeding in life, I have some serious faults.
My fault is that I jump from one heart decision to the next. I move from one emotional experience to the next.
The net result of this is that nothing gets accomplished. Because once the emotion and desire is gone, then I move onto the next thing. Don’t get me wrong. I have started companies, served in great churches, served our country, finished education, and the like. But the reality is, I find myself starting over once again.
What a large majority of people will do, is take up a cause or position in life, and yet not be taken up by that cause or position in life. It is one thing to say yes I will do that. It is quite different to be consumed by something.
When we speak of succeeding in life, it takes something much more than a desire, it takes a plan of action. What the giants of our history would tell you is that when it comes to succeeding in life, it takes great character.
To Win
In order for the Broncos to succeed in coming back against all odds, it took all three things to click in that team.
For us to win, it would take a mind that understands, a heart that generates passion, and a disciplined will to follow through to bring about the change that is needed. To propel us from where we are to where we desire to be.
Tell me, how does this play out in your life? Do you find yourself leaning too much in one area and not enough in the others?
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Woodward, Orrin (2012-04-22). RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE (Kindle Locations 448-454). . Kindle Edition.
