Brady’s baseball team lost last night. It was a tough loss because it wasn’t even close. The Sluggers played four games in a tournament over the weekend; winning the first two decisively, losing the third in a tight game where the lead changed every inning. Then, when they were tired and sore, the fourth game was almost a rout. It was a tough lesson in losing.

We forget that every time someone wins, someone else loses. That’s the only way winners are determined in our sports-addicted culture. But losing is necessary.

Baseball players and fans all know that Hank Aaron had 755 home runs but we forget that it took 12,364 trips to the plate and that he struck out 1383 times. Losing is necessary.

When we learn to lose we begin to understand what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

We have a tendency to worship winners when in fact our worship is to be directed to Jesus who “made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant.”

It doesn’t make sense; it’s counter-intuitive. Losing is necessary.

I hope my grandson wins many a baseball game. Winning is fun and I cheer him on every opportunity I get! I also understand there will be loses and I pray those will be times of learning what it is to be humble and self-less so as to avoid being filled with vain conceit. Losing is necessary.

Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matt 16:25)