No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37, NIV)
The hard part about winning is that there is so much losing to be done along the way.
A number of years ago, I worked with one of our contributors, Tim Philpot, on his personal story for the Links Players magazine. Tim has lived what by many measures would be called a successful life. He’s practiced as an attorney, been elected to his state senate, served as president of an international ministry, and officiated as a family court judge. Now retired, Tim is still called upon to speak at many events, has authored two books, and has played host to some of you at courses from California to Kentucky to Royal Dornoch. And yet, when it came time to choose a title for his story, we called it “My Life As a Loser.” Here, in Tim’s words, is the reason we went with that title: “Nearly every win in my life has followed a loss. Nearly every gain has come in the wake of a setback.”
Just like victory doesn’t come for an athlete without first enduring the rigors of practice and competition, victory doesn’t come for the people of God without real challenges.It is exciting when we come to a verse like Romans 8:37, for it is greatly encouraging when we are told that, through Christ, we are “more than conquerors.” Here is another true gain we experience when we have a relationship with him.
But that three-word phrase is not all this verse says, is it? When we read the whole sentence, we find first that we are more than conquerors “in all these things.” What things? Well, the context is not so heartening:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Romans 8:35-36)
All those woes look a lot like losing. Worse, even. But just like victory doesn’t come for an athlete without first enduring the rigors of practice and competition, victory doesn’t come for the people of God without real challenges. And isn’t it deeply significant to consider here that Christ went first, that he was wounded, shed his blood, and died? The poet Christian Wiman writes: “Human weakness plus Christ’s weakness equals a supernatural strength.” Which takes us to the end of our verse, where we hear that Christ loved us. How did he do this? By his losing. And yet, he has conquered—and we with him.
—
Jeff Hopper
February 26, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
All We Have Gained 1: Reconciliation
All We Have Gained 2: Understanding
All We Have Gained 3: Belief
All We Have Gained 4: Confidence
All We Have Gained 5: Comfort
All We Have Gained 6: Strength
All We Have Gained 8: Life