BE A WINNER: LEARN TO LOSE WELL

Losing is an important part of becoming a winner. Too many quit as they encounter defeat after defeat.

I've lived there; been there--done that--still hit it. Losing can be for losers or it can, also, be used to create winners. The greatest of baseball hitters make an out seven out of every ten at bats. Those aren't exactly successful odds, do you think?

To fail is no crisis. To fail to gain momentum from failure might be. It can be/should be an instructor to help us reach upward and forward.

One of the things that has to go in order for us to learn success is to falter and not try to hide it. Humiliation, if allowed, will produce humility. The closer we get to that mark the more we find God in our corner. He is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

If not careful we will be full of pride in the midst of our losses while making strong efforts to protect our image. Kingdom-wise, we would be better served to let the loss mold us into better and stronger future winners.

An example of this would be in my rookie outreach efforts. I loused up study after study. I said dorky stuff and used ineffective means as I so wanted to encourage friends. But I kept going back to the possibilities and opportunities. I cared more about helping people than preserving my image. Yet, I must admit such was a huge battle for me. I wanted to look good doing good, do you understand?

Through unsuccessful attempts I began to see what would work. Kingdom life is a continual school of learning. Don't hedge on the process. Sometimes a good way to be an effective leader is to learn to lose well.

In the world of working with God we will do well to realize that the many things which don't go our way are precisely His way of bending us His direction in leadership maturity.