God is Loser Friendly
I love to win. I imagine you do too. I don’t meet many who say, “Some of my fondest memories involve being clobbered in checkers and belted at backgammon.” You don’t hear sports fans chanting, “We’re number two! We’re number two!” We prefer to win. For one thing, it’s easier to brag when you win. Baseball great Ted Williams said, “I can’t stand it, I’m so good.” Major League Pitcher Bo Belinski said, “My only regret is that I can’t sit in the stands and watch myself pitch.” Winning is nice, but colossal losses make for great stories too.
The most astounding defeat on record in football is Cumberland’s loss to Georgia Tech back in 1916. The final score? 222-0. In 1944 “Tubby” McAuley allowed 15 goals as the New York Rangers lost to the Detroit Red Wings 15-0. It was the most one-sided shutout in NHL history. Interestingly, McAuley never beefed about the loss. It was World War II and he’d been called in to replace the Ranger’s goalie who was serving overseas. Tubby was just thrilled to be in the big leagues. And I’m sure he was thrilled that he wasn’t considered the worst wartime replacement goaltender. That honor went to Steve Buzinski, considered by many to be the worst goalie ever in the NHL. It earned Buzinski the nickname “The Puck Goes Inski.”
The worst Major Leagues Baseball loss on record belongs to the Baltimore Orioles. Back in 2007, the Texas Rangers thumped them 30-3. The game was close. Until that opening pitch.
One of the most memorable moments of my life was the night I scored a championship goal—in front of a large crowd—into my own net. A teammate said, “Don’t worry, Callaway. Anyone who’s completely uncoordinated coulda done that.” I felt like a loser for weeks.
Maybe that’s one reason I love reading the Bible. It’s filled with people I wouldn’t pick for my team. Some might call them losers. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible never hides the faults of its heroes. These are the ones God loves. Those who seem to have lost at life. Those who have failed miserably and sometimes publicly.
It’s almost as if God prefers losers. People who know they are weak and admit it. God displays His power in weak people. Let’s be honest, He doesn’t have much else to work with. The perfect people gene pool is a little shallow. So, by His grace, God works in and through people like us.
I once thought of life as a ladder. Do good stuff and I move up the ladder toward God. The higher I climb the more I can look down on the real losers. It felt great. Until I realized I was one of them. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” But the good news is this: God is loser friendly. Jesus didn’t come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. So wherever you are today, thank God for His grace.
During a Monday night football game Walter Payton—the Chicago Bears’ famous running back—surpassed nine miles in rushing yards during his career. His average run was 4.6 yards. He was knocked down almost 3,500 times. His success came from getting back up each time and running again.
May God give each of us the strength to do that today.
Phil Callaway is a speaker, best-selling author, and host of Laugh Again Radio. Check it out at laughagain.org
