The saying “May the best player win” is often heard in sports or games. It expresses the desire that victory should go not to the ruthless or crafty, but to the truly more capable or skilled. Behind this stands an attitude of fairness and respect: one recognizes that the other person also deserves a chance—and that their success should elicit recognition rather than envy.
But in the reality of today’s society, things often look different. Performance, self-promotion, and competition shape the thinking of many people. Social media does not celebrate fairness, but mostly individual success. Even in everyday or professional life, the motto “The most important thing is that I win” often seems to apply.
In English, the saying goes, “The winner takes it all.” But what does that mean from a biblical perspective? What does God’s Word say about winning, losing, and what it means to truly take it all?
The world equates “winners” with power, influence, success, or wealth. But Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and death did not come through domination, but through sacrifice. Christ did not win by defeating others, but by sacrificing Himself. Many people saw His death on the cross as a defeat – but it was precisely there that He achieved the ultimate victory.
Jesus challenged the worldly idea of success. He said:
“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).
Even true Christians are not immune to comparing themselves with others: Who is more successful, more popular, more talented, or more “spiritual”? But the gospel calls us to a different Way of Life – to humility, to appreciation for our neighbors, and to gratitude.
The apostle Paul, who endured much suffering – shipwreck, beatings, imprisonment, abandonment – did not strive for worldly fame. His goal was different:
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
The true winner does not take anything away from others but receives what only God can give.
The Bible often uses metaphors from sports and competition to convey spiritual Truths: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
For Christians, this means that we do not race against each other, but together toward Christ.
One of the greatest ideas in the Bible is that God’s victory is shared: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).
The path to the throne leads through humility: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3; New American Bible; the New Jerusalem Bible says, “…give preference to others”).
The world says: The winner takes it all.
Jesus asks: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
To enter God’s Kingdom, we must give up everything in this life that stands in the way. This is how we receive eternal life. When we follow Christ, we do not chase after trophies. We carry our cross. We may lose a lot in this life – prestige, possessions, even our lives. But in the end, we gain the most important thing: eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
When we as Christians say, “May the best player win. The winner takes it all,” we recognize a deeper Truth in this: in the end, what matters is not whether we were better than others, but whether we remained faithful.
Paul gets to the heart of the matter: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Where do I find it difficult to acknowledge the success of others? Do I live my daily life according to the principle of “me first” – or in humility, considering “others as more important” than myself?
Which “victories” in faith are genuinely important to me – the recognition of people or faithfulness to God?
Let the world chase after its perishable crowns. We want to run the race that is set before us – toward the prize that never fades away (cf. Hebrews 12:1-2).
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
(Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger)