In Others’ Words: Defining Defeat

My perspective on defeat has changed a lot as I’ve gotten older.

I think there was a time, early on in my life, when I didn’t think much about defeat — when I was brave. And then somehow, someway fear crept in and told me all the reasons I had to be afraid … all the reasons I couldn’t be brave.

And I believed fear.

And defeat? Well, as odd as it seems to say this, defeat won so many of the battles I faced. So many of my defeats were final. And by that I mean, every single defeat, every loss, passed final judgement on me.

Again.

And then, something changed. Me, I guess. And my view of God.

I allowed God’s lavish grace to destroy the weight of all the defeats I still carried — the couldn’ts and shouldn’ts and didn’ts.

I breathed the fresh air of God’s love. Inhaled it like an intoxicating perfume that revived my strangled soul. God loved me — defeats, failures, mistakes — all of me.

Mistakes were no longer final — not when I stood in the wide open spaces of God’s grace. (Romans 5 The Message) Being wrong, being declared a loser or being flat-out ignored by someone no longer held the same power over me — not in the light of God’s declaration that I am His and I am Redeemed.

In Your Words: What response do you have when you see or hear the word defeat? How do you handle defeat? 

Putting Defeat into Perspective  Click to Tweet

Defeat Does Not Define You   Click to Tweet