“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” — Romans 8:18
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Vince Lombardi is a legendary football coach. He never had a losing season as a professional football coach and the Super Bowl trophy is named after him. He coached the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. His teams won 75% of their games.
Few people have matched his success on the football field. His intense focus on basic fundamentals, discipline and achieving maximum potential led to incredible heights of achievement. He is known for saying, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” It’s been reported that he later regretted making that statement because it can be taken out of context. He once told a reporter that he was referring to showing effort and having a goal, not intending to crush human values and morality. The loser of the Super Bowl probably did their very best and some people could be led to despair if they feel that they’ve failed. In fact, we all need that perspective because nobody wins all the time.
We do best when we live with enough flexibility to adjust to different circumstances without panicking. If we learn to stop basing our happiness on what happens, we can enjoy life more and please the Lord by seeing each day as a gift from Him. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). The constant goodness of God should silence our grumbling. We should thank the Lord for all He does for us. It’s easy to celebrate God’s kindness when we get exactly what we want, but it’s tougher when we face disappointments.
If we walk with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, we train ourselves to celebrate every moment; a Christian gets a little taste of Heaven daily since Jesus is with us and He washed away our sins with His own blood. If we start counting our blessings instead of our burdens, we can rejoice anyway when we have a bad day.
Throughout the Bible, we’re commanded to make the best of our situation and rejoice in the Lord no matter what happens. We should be hopeful and joyful because every current problem will fade away when see Jesus face to face in Heaven. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). We need to keep reading the Bible to remind us that we will make it, and to rejoice in the Lord over and over again. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Having a play-to-win effort and goal is helpful to achieve your best. But as Christians we can see past the record and stats, knowing we have a lot more to live for and look forward to. And we can still find ways to rejoice even when we aren’t on the winning side.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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