Nobody ever goes into a game thinking...I really hope we lose today! Nobody normal enjoys losing. Over the past 23 year I have been on some really great teams and I have been on some really not great teams. No matter who the team was it was always more fun to win than it was to lose.
There are two teams battling it out right now. We have a chance to be on the team that we know will win! Everyday as followers of Christ we fight a battle against Satan and his demons. I love the imagery of this battle in Ephesians 6.
A final word: be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes; put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17
Christ has called us to be a part of His winning team. Even if we lose a few battles we can trust that He has won the war. He has been that player that even when everyone around him isn't all that great He is such a stud that His team wins anyways (I'm reading Tim Tebow's book right now and this kind of reminds me of how he could carry an average team and make them great because of his skill). He has told us that when this world comes to an end that He will call us home. He has adopted us into His family and is preparing for us a place in heaven! That reward is so much greater than any little trophy, medal, or ring that this world has to offer.
I've never won a national championship or even state for that matter. The closest thing to that that I have ever been a part of was my senior year of college. Our basketball team made it to the NAIA national basketball tournament on an at large bid. We pulled two huge upsets to make it to the quarterfinals before we lost to the team that ended up winning the whole thing. I remember the first game of that tournament. No one thought we had a chance at winning, and for the first half of the game I think we believed them. When the second half rolled around we caught some momentum and ended up turning around a 15 point deficit and pulling out the win. I remember our excitement and celebration after that win. We were so pumped!
How many of us go through life like we have lost? We go through life upset and lacking any joy. We seem to have forgotten that we are on the winning team. We seem to forget that with Christ as our savior that we have won. We didn't just win state or a national championship. We won the World Championship. Our Christ made the best play ever and has set us free. We have so much to celebrate. We have so much to be joyful about. We have so much to share with this world!
I pray that as Christians we will live life full of joy. May people be able to see that there is something different about us. Even when times are hard may we remember that this world is temporary and that in the end if we are faithful to our Christ that He will give us the best trophy ever. Praise God that because of His awesome game plan we get to be a part of the winning team with an eternity to celebrate!
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