Christianity. Winner Or Loser

Center Stage, Star, Under The Big Lights, In The Spot Light

, Hired, Married, Winner

Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a chance to be lifted up and applauded by fans? Have you ever won the big trophy? Recognized as a hero or a celebrity even if it was for a few moments? Do you remember that? It felt good didn't it? Like life isn't too bad after all. You worked hard and you succeeded. You made the big catch. You are respected and admired. You earned the thrill of victory and that great feeling of worth. Maybe you wrote something and it was published. Maybe your kid made the grade and got that special award of excellence. We feel like a winner at those moments. Everyone wants to be a winner and loves winning.

Unaccepted, Humiliated, Cast Out, Dumped, Fired, Divorced, Loser

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been replaced? Have you had people shun you or turn away in disappointment? Have you ever been rejected and humiliated by people you love and respect? Have you lost to a rival and suffered the agony of defeat? Losing is no fun. It is painful and shameful. No excuse is adequate to remove the sting of rejection. Few will boast about our loss of love or job. We don't want to talk about our failures. The worst description of person is to be labeled a "loser." Public exposure of our weaknesses and faults can be devastating and even lead to self-destruction.

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." Vince Lombardi

Life is like a game of points. We play to win. We want to score as many points as possible. There is nothing wrong with that. It is healthy to want to win. Maybe it's to win at love or parenting. Maybe it's to win that raise at work. Maybe it's to win that client. It doesn't matter as long as we feel like we won something. As long as we can enjoy that feeling of reward and praise, life is better.

So it is important to play a game that you believe you can win at. I am sure not going to play a golf game against Tiger Woods. It would be great to beat him, but he is way too good. Since I don't even play golf or like it, he would easily crush me. So to save myself the humiliation I will play a game that I am more confident in and hopefully win at. For example, I think I can be a good husband so I will get married. I think I am smart so I will go to school and earn the prize of a degree. I think I am good at sports so I will join a team and maybe win a trophy. Then the scoreboard of my life will show I am a winner. Maybe not win everything but at least win at something worthwhile.

"Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can." Vince Lombardi

Some time ago I decided to team up with a sure winner. Christianity. I looked at the track record and was convinced this team was a winner. The head coach and owner, Jesus Christ, never lost a game. He was in some of the toughest battles in history and always came out the winner. In fact, he predicted that His team would completely destroy all other opponents. So, in 1981, not wanting to be on the losing side I decided to join the team. Coach Christ had an amazing record. He was like the king of comeback artists.

Here are a few final scores when his team was way behind and over powered, but his saints still came out the winner:

* Saint thrown to the lions. Final: Saint wins lions nothing.

* Saint sold into slavery and thrown into jail. Final: Saint wins all of Egypt and saves the nation of Israel.

* Saint captured and chained by 1,000 Philistine soldiers. Final: Saint smashes the army with the jawbone of an ass.

* Saint dead and buried in tomb for 3 days. Final: Saint rose from the dead and defeats the tomb.

* Saint armed with faith and a small stone against a 9 1/2 foot champion warrior. Final: Saint defeats giant with one single deadly blow.

* Saints thrown into a furnace for execution. Final: Saints walk through fire without a scratch and defeats their foes.

* Saint whipped, beaten, crucified and died on the cross. Final: Saint resurrected and defeated the power of death and Satan.

For the first couple of years, life as a Christian was great. I felt honored to be part of a great force in humanity. I proudly wore the great uniform of Christianity. I was issued all the equipment of the faith: helmet, breastplate, shoes, sword, and shield. I was ready to do battle against the enemies of the faith. The coach gave me lots of attention and encouragement.

I constantly studied the Bible like my playbook on life. Some great veterans in the faith personally mentored me. Pretty soon I got my own position on the team. I was teaching and recruiting new players to join. I was not intimidated by anyone I was up against. I rattled the souls of rockers, punks, criminals, bums, friends, parents, or anyone that crossed my path. I told them if they didn't join up with our team, there would be hell to pay. I had energy, enthusiasm and spiritual strength. I also became proud, arrogant, and self-righteous.

I began to think of myself as better than other teammates and the coach did not like it. That is when the game plan changed. I didn't get kicked off the team but I was benched for a while. I also had to do some serious conditioning. Suddenly, I found myself divorced, alone, and abandoned by my church. I lost my position as Children's Director. I lost my kids, business, house, dog, and almost every personal possession. My father died, I was sent to jail, and I wrecked my car. My daughters were abused by the new husband of my ex-wife. I saw their hearts break as their mother spent the next 15 years in and out of prison, rehab, and 4 more marriages. My oldest daughter got addicted to drugs. My credit was ruined and I had to move into a little camper trailer. My grandchild was born with a brain disorder. Then I lost my sense of self-worth when I became unemployed a year ago. Last week I was assaulted with a gun. Then two weeks before Christmas my only transportation blew up for the 2nd time in a year.

I continue to battle against bitterness, anger, and despair. Still, I participate in the church practices. But now I have to practice forgiveness and compassion to everyone. Slowly I am being healed from the injuries of my past. Jesus is not the nice easygoing coach anymore either. He drills me with humiliation. Most of life has become a steady diet of failure and loss of ground.

Still, over the years there were some big points scored. After short break I was able to get back a position teaching a few kids on Sunday morning. In the last 10 years I received full custody of all four of my kids. Now they are going to college, stable and successful in school. My daughter got delivered from drugs and became an amazing mother. My other daughter will begin her nursing program. That is all great, but the game is different now.

My uniform is dirty with my own issues. The storms of life drenched me with heartache. My shoes are full of the mud of this world. My knees are scraped from the countless hours of unanswered prayer. My shield has gotten heavy and the arrows of the enemy hit me too often. The fans in my life have all but left. The ones who are left are shaking their heads in disgust. Some of my teammates have defected or quit. Sometimes I tell the coach, "I can't go on coach. The enemy is too strong. I'm hurt and tired. Take me out. I think I am causing the team to lose." But He doesn't listen to me. He just pushes me back out there. As if to say, "Get out there, Pellerin! Do your damn job and quit crying!"

So I go out there. I look up at the scoreboard and it says our team is losing 42 to 7 with a few minutes left to play. The stands are almost empty now. Sometimes I get into fights as my opponent mocks and laughs at me. They are already doing their victory dance. Now I am just trying to survive the game, not even win. I can hear the crowd booing. I look over at the coach on the sidelines. But he doesn't even seem to be affected by the score. Not even a flinch. He is just focused and stoic. It's like he almost enjoys this kind of challenge. He is just watching and waiting, maybe for the right moment. I don't know what his plan is. He won't tell me. But he's not upset at all. He is secure and confident in himself and in his team.

For us Christians there is nothing easy about winning the fight of faith. But it is not our fight to win. As David said to Goliath, "The battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands" 1st Samuel 17:47. I need to have enough faith in Jesus Christ, the head coach, to pull this off. He has never lost. In his mind the game is already won. I need to have faith in that just like he does. If I want to be a winner, I need to stay on the field and keep playing to the end. Never quit. It is my choice but He will win with or without me. At this point I am not sure of his game plan. It doesn't matter. All I know is that He will have His victory and be crowned "Lord of Lords and King of Kings"Rev19: 16. When this game is over the scoreboard will read, "Every knee bowed and every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord" Phil 2:10. That will require one tremendous comeback.

by: Phil Pellerin

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