Don't Look at the Scoreboard

Good morning!

Listening to Lucas’ football coach give a pep talk to the team during half time made me smile.

Not only was it so appropriate for them to hear, but I immediately saw the parallel in our lives.

You see, we were playing a new team to the league who is well-known for being strong and always winning. Our boys knew that going in.

The statement that coach said that stood out the most was this: “Don’t look at the scoreboard to decide who’s winning and losing.”

Oh my!

As we go through various trials and day to day problems of life it can feel like we are on the losing side…..unless we change our way of thinking.

Coach told the boys to look at how they are improving their ability to navigate the field or perfect a play that they have practiced so many times. He reminded them that they needed to focus on what they CAN do. Yes, look at how to improve the mistakes but don’t decide the winners and losers based on a scoreboard.

Could we do that in our own lives? Where is your focus?

As we were leaving the field, after our boys lost the game, I heard a random bystander that hadn’t watched the game yell to the opposing team, “Hey, did you win?” The player said “No, we lost” in a sarcastic tone of voice. Then quickly said, “Of course we won.”

I felt really sad for that kid. And maybe a little bit mad J …. But I get it. When you are used to being in the position of always winning you get cocky and prideful. Unfortunately, that oftentimes is not the best way to learn the most important lessons of life.

Sometimes, oftentimes, the losing side is actually the winning side. The resilience, the character, the never-die-attitude that is built during the times that we feel like “losers” but choose to stay in the game…..those are the irreplaceable and tenacity building seasons of life.

So, take it from Coach Martin…..a coach that is tough but with a teddy bear heart…..

Don’t look at the scoreboard to decide who’s winning or losing.

In God’s eyes, on God’s team, we are always winning….no matter what the scoreboard looks like!

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5