No one likes losing; people don’t go out of their way to lose unless they think there’s something to gain other than a victory. Sports has two versions of intentional losing: cheating and tanking. In the former, a player or a team, often for a secret payoff, act like they’re competing while they’re actually throwing the match. One of the best known examples of this, the Black Sox scandal, occurred when several members of the Chicago White Sox baseball team received money from a gambler to blow the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in 1919.
The other option, tanking, occurs when a team seeks enough defeats to earn the worst record in its league. In many sports, the lousiest teams have the privilege of drafting the best talent out of the college and amateur ranks, so professional franchises that aren’t doing well are motivated to give up on a season in the hope of landing a top draft pick or two.
But under normal circumstances, athletes play to win. It’s so ingrained that they have to be bribed to lose.
This blog series (see posts one, two, and three) proposes that losing is a significant element of discipleship. Does this mean that Jesus wants us to cheat or tank? Is He asking us to concede that our opponents outclass us and we have no shot at winning? This doesn’t sound like the victorious Christian life!
Paul unpacks the rationale in Philippians 3. In this chapter, he delves into the spirituality of losing for disciples of Jesus Christ.
Confidence
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh– 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” – Philippians 3:3-6
Paul launches his discussion with a recollection of winning, optimism, and a positive attitude. Based on his background, he had every reason to be proud of himself. His dedication to his religious heritage made him the envy of the Jewish world. Paul exemplified what it meant to be a loyal Jew approved by God.
What are you proud of in your past or present circumstances? What resources have provided you with a fast track to success in the development of your character and your walk with the Lord? How have these instilled in you a sense of confidence that you’re on the right path?
Consideration
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:7-11
But something happened to Paul–he met Jesus! And the Lord upended his world; everything he’d been banking on got devalued. Analogous to the stock market crash of 1929, Paul’s spiritual investments were rendered worthless in a moment.
Unlike the sad souls who lost their life savings, however, Paul emerged a winner! The diminution of his tradition created room for Christ to reveal Himself as supreme. And the longer Paul pursued Jesus, the more he appreciated the benefit of knowing Him as Savior and Lord.
Losing is one thing; remaining mired in defeat is different. If the Lord has disrupted your life and depreciated what you used to cling to, you may feel impoverished and beaten, but you haven’t lost. Not in an ultimate sense. You’re in a prime position to begin to fathom the eminence of Jesus; you’re on the verge of victory!
Course
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14
Winning takes time; it’s a process Paul immersed himself in. With studied practice, the apostle did the best thing he could in light of the devaluation of what he’d held dear–he forgot about it. Abandoning what he once valued gave Paul the freedom to pursue the prize of Jesus Christ without hindrance. Nothing distracted him.
How about you? Do you find forgetting hard to do? Paul’s comment is metaphorical; he could recite a litany of religious achievements, but he let them go so he could prioritize Jesus. What is God calling you to lose so you can gain Christ? What keeps you committed to the way of the Lord? What’s getting in your way and how do you handle those temptations?
Copy
“All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” – Philippians 3:15-17
Paul recognized that others were watching him; how he lived served as an example for others.
You know the old proverb, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. When you’re outstanding, others want to duplicate your success, so they copy you. And that’s a real ego boost–people notice you, they envy you!
But what if you fail? How many people are lining up to pattern themselves after a loser? How would you react to criticism? The natural response is to pull away from the crowd and hide somewhere. But making the decision to lose what you once valued demonstrates the worthiness of Jesus Christ in your life. You make it obvious.
Choice
“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” – Philippians 3:18-21
The Christian life boils down to two options: success for yourself or loss through the cross. Deciding which to choose shapes your destiny in an eventual reversal. Self-centered victories, even religious ones, don’t last. But dying to yourself leads to life everlasting.
Application
I realize that this blog series on losing can come across as negative. I wrote it not because I have a sour attitude (I trust I don’t!) but because I want to take seriously the role of losing in the context of the kingdom of God.
Think of it as investing–short-term loss for long-term gain. God isn’t calling us to sadness and defeat; the losses we suffer prepare us to receive and enjoy the blessings that await. And above all, by God’s grace we win the ultimate prize–Jesus Christ Himself. He is worth it!
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