When You Lose, You Win (In Football and In Faith)

For many in this community, I am known as “Pastor Vince”, but for a small, special group, I am known as “Coach Vannett”. It has been my privilege to help coach our local high school football team for a few years now. These young men are near to my heart, and I love the opportunity to be a part of their life, their growth as athletes, but more important their growth as young men of great character.

The Panthers Made The Playoffs!!!! This is the first time the football team has made the post season in a long time. Coach Mason and Wright are doing a great job, along with Coach Keel, also our “doc”. The young men have played hard, endured injuries, trials, disappointments, and challenges. Let me tell you about how it happened and how it might relate to all of us.

This past Friday we hosted Southeast for our homecoming game. They have beat us every year I have been a part of the team. We had previously beat Lusk and Wright this year and thought we would make the playoffs, but then Lusk beat Southeast (creating a 3 way tie for 2 spots). So the scenario was laid out – beat SE and we are in, or - we could lose to SE, but only by 2 points and still make it. (the point system is complicated, so I won’t share all details).

Our young men played so hard. We had one, HJ, who separated his shoulder on the third play and played the rest of the 1st half until the doc checked him out. It was a hard-fought contest. In the 4th quarter we had the game in control. Up 24-20, just converted a 4th down, and the ball on their 2 yard line, ready to put the game away. But, then made a mistake, we turned the ball over and then numerous mistakes and they proceeded to beat us, one play at a time. The game ended 24-35.

We were crushed. All our effort, all our striving, all our trying to be perfect, ended in a loss. There were tears, yes, even these tough, strong, athletes broke down when the realization set in, our mistakes outweighed our good efforts, we were not good enough, and did not win the prize.

As a Pastor, I always look for the spiritual meaning in everything. On Saturday morning, as WYPreps was determining standings, we learned WE MADE THE PLAYOFFS! What? How? It is a long story, but SE beat us by 11 so they are in 3rd and then the tie breaker for 4th we won head-to-head because we beat Lusk. The scenario we thought would get us “In” turned out to be wrong. By losing by 11, instead of 1 or 2, we made it in. By losing big, we actually won. We were counting on all our great effort, but we made too many mistakes.

This situation, though not exact, reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus. “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast” (2:8-9). Our eternal security, far better than playoffs or championship, was secured, not because of our efforts, our striving, our wins and losses, but because Jesus Christ was victorious over sin and death.

Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth about a surprise exchange: His “game” for your “game”. “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:20). Jesus willingly exchanged His life for yours. All our mistakes, all our efforts that don’t measure up, Jesus takes those and exchanges them for His perfect life. God now views us as victorious, as champions, not because of what we did, but because of what Christ did. Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.” When we lose, we win. When we give our life to God, we receive the life of Christ. What a win!

What does this mean for us? For those who believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, you have won the Championship (eternal life). This was not based on how good you were, how perfect, how many mistakes, and not based on wins and losses. Your prize was won when Jesus won. When Jesus was victorious, He won for you. He secured your place in eternity. For those who don’t believe, those who are still striving so hard, those who are keeping track of wins and losses and are not enough; Christ offers His victory to you. Jesus offers His “perfect life” to you. He is willing to exchange with you, will you accept it?