Win or Lose

How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.  G.K. Chesterton

I went to my nephew’s football game last week.  There was a particular play that occurred during the game and several coaches from one of the teams took offense at a call from the referee.  Three or four of the coaches went onto the field to protest the call the referee made, and continued to harass the referee from the sidelines.

Our society has become one of winning at all cost.  Losing is not an option and many parents ridicule their children for not winning.  Parents want their child to be the best in whatever sport they play or activity they are involved in, and when they don’t win the parent belittles or puts the child down for not winning.  It doesn’t matter to the parent that God may not have given their child talent in that area.  Too many times you see parents trying to live vicariously through their children.  They want their children to be what they never were in life.

When I was a sophomore in high school I tried out for Jr. Co-captain and guess what.  I didn’t make it.  Was I disappointed?  Yes.  Do you know what my parents did?  They didn’t belittle me for losing and instead they encouraged me to try again the next year.  They encouraged this shy introvert to step out and try again.  So when I tried out for Sr. Co-Captain the next year I won. 

What did this lesson teach me?  It taught me that I was good enough and that I will not win at everything in life.  It taught me perseverance and determination.  The irony of the whole thing is that losing taught me how to win.  That is an amazing piece of wisdom. We should spend more time teaching children how to lose.   

Jesus told his disciples that if anyone desires to come after Me, deny himself, take up the cross and follow Me. The biggest irony of all is that Jesus lost (died on a cross) to save us so we could win (eternal life).  The most important thing we can teach children today is to deny themselves and follow Jesus. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I thank You for my parents who taught me how to lose with grace.  Learning how to lose taught me a great lesson.  I pray for the children of this world who are under so much pressure to win at all costs that they never get to see that the most important thing they need to learn is to lose.  Losing my life for Christ means I win.  Thank you for providing a way for me to win for eternity.        

Scripture:   Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26