YOU CAN LOSE...AND STILL WIN!

I read an article that I'm stealing a thought from to make the point that it is possible to lose and still win. The preacher was retiring. As he reflected on his early days in preaching, he remembered numerous preachers leaving the ministry. Some chose to drop out while others were forced to leave. Some exited early and others lasted longer in the work they were doing, but still didn't make it until the end.  

He said he wondered if he too was destined to fall out. Who among us, if we are honest, haven't questioned if we can make it to the end of our service for the Lord? The writer compares it to a war when an army enters the battle with a significant charge and appears to be winning at first. As the battle ensues, they begin to falter, and in the end, the army is decimated. The cause is lost. We've seen it as well when our favorite team starts the season successfully, but injuries occur, obstacles arise, mistakes are made, and in the end, the season is a disaster!

These images can serve as examples for our lives. We are in a war—every day. Time-out. Intermission. One of our biggest mistakes is our failure to remember who we are fighting. Battles in life distract us, and we forget that we are not fighting one another. As much as at any time, we must not forget that we are fighting a spiritual campaign. As preachers, elders, people of God, we are not at war with one another. Neither or we at war with any of the people on earth. Satan is our enemy. He is cunning, deceitful, worldly-wise, and if he can get us to lose our focus, he can win some battles. My beloved brethren let's keep our hearts in the real war and away from what the enemy is throwing in our path. Okay, intermission over.

As preachers, there will be seasons that it feels like we are losing, big time. A health crisis will sideline us, a period of unrest in our country or our community will take us away from the mission, or a church fight will create concern. We may watch someone we love more than anyone in life slip into eternity. Family members may disappoint us. Other preachers, church leaders, dear friends in the body of Christ may drop out. Some will falter, others will fall. We may personally experience temporary harm, which can feel devastating. 

When the rubber meets the road, our view of life and eternity, along with the choices we make will determine whether we are victorious. You see, we can lose a political battle, our jobs, good health, our careers, our houses, and our incomes, and still win. We can see faithful men become distracted, we can see family members fall, we can watch people we love pass away, and still win. We can be mistreated by church folk, misjudged by the world, and maligned by people around us, and still win. We can watch our nation fall, see our people be treated unfairly, even see the church we loved torn apart, and still win. We can go through seasons of depression, dejection, discord, division, disagreement, division, and dread, and we can still win.

It's true. Life isn't fair. It's not fair to have to go through a divorce you don't want. It's not fair for a young mother to get sick and not be able to take care of her children. It's unfair when a young man loses his job at no fault of his own. It's unfair to see your child or grandchild come down with an illness and struggle mightily. It's devastatingly not fair to have to bury your child when you had so many hopes and dreams. It seems unfair to lose your spouse when you are getting ready to slow down and enjoy your "retirement years." It's not fair to learn that your family is looked down on because of race, nationality, or social standing. It's not fair that you are afraid to send your child out into the world because they might be treated in ungodly ways. It's not fair to have your business destroyed because someone is angry and wants to make a point. It's not fair to be hated because of the type of work you've chosen to spend your life doing. It's unfair to be accused of hatred because of your race, nationality, or social standing. Life isn't fair. That doesn't mean that anything mentioned here is right. It doesn't mean we can't hate any of these situations. Here is something of which we can be 100 % certain. God is fair. He is always fair. One day, He will make everything right. When that day comes, how we respond to life will go a long way toward deciding if we are victorious. One other thought about life not being fair. God's people should be fair, always, because we want to make His Name great among the nations. 

Here's the Gospel, the Good News, if we are on the Lord's team, we will win. The truth from Scripture is, we have already won. Because our King is victorious, we win. Even when it appears from a physical, national, or human standpoint that the battle is lost: The Kingdom wins, because our King has already won! Victory is not assured because of our power, our might, our intelligence, our wisdom, our ingenuity, or our ability. We win because of Him. 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." (Ephesians 6:12-13)

"Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58)

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever." (Jude 24-25)

Jeff A Jenkins