What's a winner?  What's a loser?  About this time next year much of the world will be watching all kinds of winners and losers as the Olympics will bring together athletes from all over the world in Greece.  Those of us who are "Olympic junkies" will watch just about every event, rejoice with the winners and promptly forget the losers.

          But some people can't lose.  Suffering from terminal spinal cancer at age 47, former NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano spoke with a reporter.  He told a story about himself as a 23-year-old coach of a small college team who demanded his boys win, almost at all costs.  His players asked him, "Why is winning so important to you?"  "Because the final score defines you," he said.  "You lose, therefore, you're a loser.  You win and you're a winner."  "No," his players insisted.  "Participation is what matters.  Trying your best, regardless of whether you win or lose -- that's what defines you."

          24 years later Coach Valvano was a different man.  He said it took weeks of sleepless nights, his mattress drenched in sweat, yet his teeth rattling from the fever chill of chemotherapy, and the terror of seeing himself die in his dreams.  It took cancer for him to finally say, "Those kids were right.  It's effort, not result.  It's trying, not just winning, that counts."

          If you don't already know, let me tell you a secret -- Everybody loves a winner but few people love a loser.  It's cruel but true, whether in sports or in life, we all know winning and losing.  My son told of watching a Super Bowl game in a room where most were betting on the game.  He said when a "hail mary" pass changed the point spread, they had to call in the paramedics to help someone who had lost his huge bet.

          Denver is a sports crazy town, and it's all about winners and losers.  When you're winning they cheer you - when you're losing they jeer you.  When you win, they're at your feet, but when you lose, they wipe their feet on you.  Sad, but that's the way it is.

          You and I live in a competitive society, and we're hooked on winning.  For a whole lot of people it's me against you, and us against them.  Get them before they get you.  You've heard the saying, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."  Green Bay Packers' Vince Lombardi who said that, later wished he hadn't.  "I didn't mean it quite like it sounded," he said.  "But I'm afraid that one's going to follow me around a long time."  And indeed it has.  What people thought he said has become the epitome of the competitive attitude in America.

          But not all people are competitive.  Some of us may play basketball with you, but we won't go one-on-one.  We'll play the game but won't bet on the score.  Some of us like vigorous discussion, but we won't argue.  Some enjoy overcoming obstacles, but we won't go looking for mountains to climb.

          Competition in itself isn't bad -- in fact we need it.  If everyone sat back, we'd either be run over or we'd starve.  If everyone waited for someone else to act, there'd be no inventions.  We need people who are driven to succeed.  Competition even makes some parts of life lots of fun.  We need people who want to win -- we just need to be careful what we mean when we call some people winners and losers.

          St. Paul, in a familiar passage from Romans 8, spoke of a different kind of winning and losing.  He said, "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."  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

          In all these things we are more than conquerors -- more than winners!  The phrase, "All these things" refers to his list of problems:  "trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, mortal danger and sword."  No trophies on that list!  Yet in all those things you and I can still be more than winners in Jesus Christ.

          But who would want to be more than a winner?  Isn't winning enough?  Well, that depends on our definition of winning.  Jim Valvano lost his biggest game - survival.  Remember Babe Ruth's "unbreakable" record of 60 home runs?  Anyone know or care what the record is now or who holds it?  I've been working on the program for my High School's 40th reunion next weekend.  Looking back, it's amazing the importance we placed on popularity or winning the Homecoming game.  But will anyone care now when we look back on those days?

          Being a winner depends on what you value.  Only when you've sat by the casket of a loved one can you understand the value of life.  Only when your home goes up in smoke can you understand the value of your family.  Only when you are in despair can you know the value of faith.  Only when you're in desperation can you understand your victory over sin in Jesus Christ.

          Paul wrote the Romans, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

          Nothing can separate us from God's love!  What a marvelous statement of faith!  Paul is convinced of it and so can you!  Oh yes, we can push God's love away, but He'll never withhold it from us.  The demons of darkness may blind us, but they can't hide God's love.  Trouble may shake us to our roots, but only we can let troubles uproot us.  Nothing can separate us from God's love unless we let it.  In all things we are more than winners through Jesus Christ.

          I will never forget the Barcelona Olympics of 1992.  Derrick Redmonds of Great Britain was a sure winner for a gold medal.  Trained to perfection, he had a wide lead in the semifinals of the 400 Meter run.  Rounding the last turn he suddenly felt hot, searing pain as his hamstring muscle tore.  He slowed to an agonizing limp in total disbelief at his injury.  While others would have stopped, however, he was determined to finish.  The stunned crowd helplessly watched as the pained young man hobbled each painful step towards the finish line.  Suddenly a burly man in a dark T-shirt broke through the crowd and ran past the guards to young runner's side.  Those nearby heard him say, "Perhaps you should pull out."  "No," said Redmonds, " I have to finish."  Maybe you remember that sight.  I know I'll never forget it.  The young runner finishing his Olympic race, tears flowing, head buried in the older man's shoulder, each agonizing step made possible because his own father had come out of the stands and onto the track to hold up his injured son.  Derrick Redmonds lost the gold medal, but some of the greatest acclamations of those Olympics belonged to him.  He was a true winner even in defeat, because someone who loved him was at his side.

          You and I have someone at our side to hold us up - Jesus Christ.  Yet when Jesus needed it, no one was there for Him.  There were crowds, but only to jeer.  There was pain, but no one to lean on.  Even His father looked on in silence.  There were no friends when He hung on the cross, just some helpless spectators.  Alone, He cried, "My God, why have You forsaken me?"  An innocent man convicted by liars, a good man dying in distress and buried in embarrassment.  His enemies said, "What a loser!  He had it all and now He's got nothing.  What a loser!"

          What a loser indeed!  You and I know better.  That loser came out of the grave!  That loser appeared alive to hundreds.  That loser forgave His enemies and friends, enemies who knew nothing and friends who had run away when He needed them.  What a loser we have for a Savior!  And today's world, so caught up in winning and losing, still doesn't understand.  People today still consider Jesus and His followers just a bunch of losers.  But they don't have a clue, for IN JESUS YOU AND I HAVE WON IT ALL!  Thanks be to God!

          In 1965 I was competing in the 180 yard low hurdles in college when I lost my balance and fell -- onto the cinder track - ouch!  Bloody and bruised, cinders imbedded in my legs and hands, I got up, jumped two more hurdles and fell again.  I have no idea why, but I got up and kept on running (maybe because that was the way to First Aid).  Imagine my surprise when I received loud applause from the crowd for coming in last!

          Life has a way of tripping us up.  Maybe you've been clipped with a pink slip from work.  Maybe you've been blindsided with the death of a loved one or sacked by disease.  Maybe you've been caught offside by a stupid mistake or maybe you've dropped the ball when others depended on you.  Maybe your dreams of winning have been rubbed out by a terrible loss.  Maybe you really do feel like a real loser.

          Well, you're not!  In Jesus Christ, you're a winner.  Trust Him who lost it all to forgive you.  Lean on Him who sacrificed Himself that we might live forever.  In His love, Christ takes us to heaven where there is no pain, no penalties, and no losers.  In Him we are MORE THAN WINNERS!  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Copyright © 2003 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.