J.M. Diener
As the Superbowl rolled around our college and career group decided to put together a little party. I was supposed to do some sharing and while I was thinking about it, I came across a quote from a song by Audio Adrenaline.
To save your life you’ve gotta lose it
and all the losers get a crown.
When we stop to think about it, this meshes two great truths from the Bible: First, Jesus tells us that to save our lives we must lose them to Him, take up His cross daily and follow Him (Mt. 16:24-27). Then, later on, Paul talks about how, when we press on towards the goal in Jesus Christ, we will receive a crown (1Co. 9:24-25).
What does this suggest? In a society where winners are highly prized, it shows that we as “losers” are the real winners. What we do might look like loss to the world but is really gain in eternity. The losers will get the crowns, because we have set aside things in this life, in this world to strive on to reach that high calling Christ has destined us for. And that perspective is great comfort to me especially as I have to deny myself and do things that I find extremely uncomfortable to make it to the field. It turns into a prayer: God, please turn me into a good loser.