learn to lose; prepare to win

Zechariah 12:10-11;13:1; Psalm 63 My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24

Recently I have been intrigued by the game of chess. I have dappled in chess a bit here and there over the past ten years. But i decided I was going to get serious. So I got a few books to do a little reading and hopefully a lot of learning. In my search for books, I came across one book that was most helpful. It was a book that was 9 pages long and it was entitled: The Art of Losing at chess. The premise of the book was simple; if you learn how to lose then you will learn how to win. Learn to lose; prepare to win.

Now, if you look out into the world we discover one constant: the world doe snot love a loser. But according to JEsus, the key to life is learning to lose, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Any fool can win, but it takes a true man of genius to make losing an art, thus a masterpiece of wonder and awe.

God wants us to lose, but he doesn't want us to settle for being an ordinary loser. God wants us to be extraordinary at losing, at least appearing to lose.

Take Jesus for instance. Jesus in the gospel appears to be an ordinary loser. He is arrested. He is tried. He is condemned. He is beaten. He carries the cross like a criminal. He is nailed and crucified. He dies. He is buried. The end.

At this point it seems to most that he lost. It seems he was just an ordinary loser who thought he was something.

But the third day changes everything. That day makes all the difference. The resurrection not only suggest that JEsus was no ordinary loser but makes it clear he lost in an extraordinary way. In losing, he wins.

God wins by way of the cross. This is the reason of our hope; this is the reason for true optimism. Salvation comes through the cross. God can turn crucifixions into saving events. God wins through the cross.

When JEsus asks us to carry our cross daily, he is asking us to learn how to lose and thus prepare to win. Our loss in the hands of God becomes a masterpiece of victory. We give God an opportunity to win again.

Thus we learn to live not in our frustrations or resentments but rather in faith: One eye on the cross the other on the resurrection and we understand God is not done yet.

God pursues the salvation of each individual soul in unique and varied ways. Each life is a masterpiece of divine ingenuity.

Remember in the gospel: Jesus let Lazarus die. What a loss, but what a victory. Don't forget, God dies and yet victory reigns. From the death of God love rises to show its power...the third days stands as the one for the ages.

The cross carried becomes saving grace.

Our crosses may seem too hard, too great, too much but in the end if we carry it in faith, what seems to be a loss will become a story for the ages, victory for all.

Learn to lose; prepare to win.

Happy and blessed Father's day to all.
A Note for Fathers: Father's teach your children how to lose and prepare them for victory. (Ephesians 3:14-21 prayer for Fathers)