Effort Matters, Win Or Lose

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:17-20

Everybody loves a winner.

How many times do we hear this said? Or something very near to it?

Everybody does love a winner. Who does not prize success? Who, given a choice, would not choose to enjoy victory in everything? I know I would choose victory, without a moment’s hesitation.

The very essence of hope is the desire for victory. Hope is a desire the world will unfold in a particular way for us, allowing us to enjoy a particular moment. Hope hinges on us getting something that we want. Hope hinges on us winning.

Everybody loves a winner. Can anybody love a loser?

I honestly do not know.

If we prize success, are we not primed to reject failure? If winning matters, if winning is a good thing, does that not make losing a bad thing?

If losing is a bad thing, how can losing not be distinctly unloveable?

But are we not all losers? Do we not all fall short of the glory of God, being mortal and imperfect beings?

In the battle against sin, do we not lose on a daily basis?

I know I do. As much as I desire to succeed in upholding God’s Law in all things, time and again I fall short. Worse, I know I fall short, and I can see me falling short even as it happens.

In the battle against sin, I am very much a loser.

Am I therefore unloveable?

Some people might say that I am unloveable. Some people have said that I am unloveable.

God, however, has not said that I am unloveable. On the contrary, God has said that I am loveable—and loved. In my darkest moments, He has made His voice clear to me, to remind me that I am loved.

We do well to remember that the teaching in Scripture is that God loves every person, no matter how fallen, no matter how sinful.

No matter how much of a loser a person is, God loves that person. No matter how many times a person stumbles and falls into sin, God loves that person. We are assured of this time and again throughout the Old Testament and again throughout the Gospels.

Everybody loves a winner. God loves even losers.

If God loves even losers, does it really matter if we win?

Does it matter if we “win” in the battle against sin? As we are promised forgiveness and redemption, it certainly does not seem as if “winning” is the important thing before God.

Does it matter if we “win” in other contests? If the contest is of this world, winning would only matter to this world. God, being the Creator, is clearly not of this world, making it difficult to see how winning worldly contests is of any importance to God.

Everyone loves a winner—only it does not matter if we win. Winning is not what is important.

What is important, if not winning?

Fighting the battle against sin is unquestionably important. As we are given God’s Word and God’s Law, it follows that we are called to hear God’s Word and to follow God’s Law. Even though we fall short in the task, we are still called to undertake the task. We are still called to follow God’ s Law, and fight the battle against sin.

Standing firm and fighting for truth, bearing witness to the truth, is equally important. Throughout the Gospels we are called to bear witness to the truth. At the end of Matthew, Jesus Himself charged the Disciples to carry His teachings to all nations. We may be imperfect in that ministry, but we still are called to carry out that ministry.

Using whatever gifts with which God has blessed us, we are called to do what we can to uphold His Law, to preach His Word, and to be His light shining before the entire world. We may stumble—we probably will stumble—but we can only stumble if we first put forth the effort. If we are to fall short, we must first make the attempt.

The attempt is what matters. The effort is what matters. The fight is what matters.

We may lose the battle against sin on most days, perhaps even on every day, but it matters that we show up and fight that battle. It matters that we confront our temptations, our weaknesses, our vices, and overcome them in whatever ways we can.

It matters that we bear witness to His Truth.

It matters that we preach His Word.

It matters that we are His light shining before the entire world.

It matters not that we stumble. It matters that we are putting forth the effort in which we stumble.

My prayer is that I will every day be inspired to put forth that effort. My prayer is that I will show up every day, bear witness to His Truth, and preach His word. My prayer is that every day I will be His light shining into the world.

My prayer for you is that you also will be inspired to put forth effort, today and every day. My prayer for you is that you will be inspired to show up every day, bear witness to His Truth every day, and preach His Word every day. My prayer for you is that you will on every day be His light shining into the world.

On any day, perhaps every day, we will stumble. We will fall. We will lose.

On every day, what matters is that we put forth the effort in which we stumble.