How to get along on the planet, follow Christ,
and have a good time while you're at it.

Part Three:  The Agony of Defeat

When I was a kid I'd watch ABC's "Wide World of Sports" with my dad. At the beginning there is a film clip of a skier spinning out of control over the hay bales into the crowd. The "agony of defeat" - we'd always say to each other "Oooh, bet THAT one hurt!!" If you've ever played any sport, and lost, you know that pain isn't necessarily in your body, but can be that horrible feeling in the bottom of your stomach that leaves you wanting to cry, or scream, or just slink away. Defeat is no fun, for sure!

Should "winning" be important? Can defeat ever be more important than winning? In 2 Samuel 11:2-5 we can see how King David thought he'd won, with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. He thought he'd covered everything up and literally gotten away with murder.   But David really was making a big, huge mistake here. He forgot that God had seen everything he'd done. If you read the whole story you will see that what looked like a "win" to David turned quickly into tragedy. It was only after many sad things happened to David, and he finally asked God's forgiveness, that there was any true victory for David.

We should learn from this story that some defeats are more important than our victories. Sometimes it is the defeat that will teach us the most vital lessons. A good test to see if a defeat is important or not is to ask yourself, "Will this matter a year from now?" Some defeats that seem big today, you won't even remember this time next year. Others, will teach you a lesson that will last a lifetime!

King David really messed up his life for a while. Yet, because his heart was right with God, God forgave him, and built his character in the process. That was actually a great gift, that God gave to David.

Jesus has said that we should come to him when we are weary, and feel defeated, and He will give us rest. If you are willing to talk to God and involve Him in your struggles and challenges, He will help you turn those defeats into strong building blocks in your life!