In the Christian sports world, a common topic is “giving glory to God” and sharing the glory of victory with our Creator — the One who gave us the ability to compete. But what about defeat? How do we honor God when we don’t win — when it seems like we don’t have any glory to share?

Defeat provides a similar, if not greater, opportunity for spiritual growth, especially in terms of learning. In James 1, it reads, “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance…” Losing tests us — it isn’t easy. Testing gives us an opportunity to learn and to grow.

Following the Golden State Warriors recent loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the website “Desiring God” posted an article entitled, “Glory in Defeat: Five Ways We Win, When Our Team Lost.” The post breaks down specific ways to respond to loss while still bringing glory to God.

God puts specific events in our lives for specific purposes, and He works all things together for the good of those who love and trust Him, according to Romans 8:28. If nothing else, dealing with loss provides an opportunity for growth — to draw nearer to our Lord and Savior. Try not to view loss as a failure, necessarily, but as a moment of possibility.

God works through all circumstances.

To read the full blog post from Desiring God, click HERE. Desiring God was founded by John Piper, chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary. From the website: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”