Everybody loves a winner. As they say ‘winners are grinners.’ And striving to win is the reason for the expenditure of a great amount of energy at any given moment. The TV tells the story daily of people winning sporting events, politicians winning elections or debates, others winning lotteries. All these occasions spark shouts of victory and joyous celebrations. It is a good feeling to win and in some cases a whole lot is hanging on it.

But losers?
It is unusual for losers to be thought about very much. They go home crestfallen to lick their wounds in private. But they are not always forgotten.

The battle at Anzac Cove back in 1915 was a terrible loss for Australia and New Zealand. It was caused by a military blunder and persisted in until thousands of young men’s lives were lost. But was it all loss?

Sane people don’t like war. But it must be admitted that such things as courage, dedication and sacrifice come out into the open at such times.

We salute those who went before us and who laid their lives down for their country.

Life’s like that
Winning and losing is almost what life is all about. Every day we experience both to some degree. The feeling common to most of us is that we don’t get our own way easily. Losing is easier than winning — in fact you can lose without even trying.

The conclusion that seems very common today is that ‘luck’ or ‘fate’ dictates what happens. If you happen to be unlucky, then fate has not worked in your favour. Everything will go wrong. If someone seems to be successful, either they are lucky or they cheated.

Thinking in a groove
This same mentality rules people when they think about the end of life. Too bad, we die. If there is a heaven and we don’t make it, too bad. Good luck if we do!

Pleasing God and making it into heaven have nothing to do with luck. Nor has it anything to do with being a winner. The only one who stands before God on the winner’s stand is Jesus Christ. Only He is worthy of it.

How badly understood this is! The vast majority think they will go to heaven if they are good enough. The Bible’s teaching is different.

The people who find acceptance with God are acknowledged failures. They come to the point of seeing that there are no truly good people, no true winners. They see that they have failed to please God and by their own efforts never will.

Heaven will be peopled by those who have reached out empty hands to a God of generosity. They will be there because of his love and kindness and for no other reason. Jesus won the crown for them in His triumphant death and resurrection. All they did was receive it (see Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9).

It is true that you can’t win without Christ. It is true that you can’t lose with him.