You see, some years ago The Oscars and other awards shows changed their language from announcing "...the winner is" to simply "the award goes to." It would seem that our culture has become so failure-averse, so afraid of losing, that we have given up on winning. "Jon, you're really stretching it, there," you say. Fair enough. I think we can agree we at least have ceased celebrating winning, lest we draw attention to losing.
Have we forfeited our more-than-conquerors' position for playing it safe? Are we willing to take a risk? As I type this, I'm hiding behind our numbers. Am I playing it safe? Am I willing to risk all that I have and am to pursue the so-much-more that God has for me?
It's been said nothing ventured, nothing gained. Jesus put it better with "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose." When I think about what Bryan and Cassi are working through, I'm left amazed at their willingness, even desire, to leave behind everything and get it on what God is doing. It seems like such a risk, but Jesus said we can't lose. He said he'd always go with us and he'd never leave us.
Our culture may just have this backwards, we don't avoid losing by staying out of the game; we don't win by avoiding losing. We avoid losing when we make ourselves vulnerable to failure, yet backed up by a God who cannot fail. We win as we take all our talents and capabilities and life and quit leaning on it, and give it to the ultimate winner who conquered death.
Is your life merely "going to" you, or are you winning?
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