Praising God in All Things

Finding Purpose in Victory and Defeat

Getting pinned in the sport of wrestling leads to a loss. It happened early in my college wrestling career at the NCAA finals. That loss became a turning point in my life, leading me to commit my life to Jesus. After that loss and commitment, I experienced incredible wrestling success. I won two World Championships and the 2016 Olympics.

After all this success, in 2018 God tested me. I made it to the world finals but this time, I was pinned in the first minute of the match. I found myself thinking about what was most important to me. Was my identity still rooted in being a child of God? Or was I too attached to winning and praise? Would a defeat crush me again?

Thankfully, God helped me stay focused on Him. I did not feel like my life was ruined because I didn’t win. Soon after that loss, I was interviewed. I praised God for everything He had given me. I accepted that both victory and defeat were in His hands. I wanted to learn what He was trying to teach me through the loss. After the interview, many Christians told me they were encouraged by my words. In many ways, I believe that interview glorified the Lord even more than if I had won another title!

Here are a few reasons why I was able to praise God after a tough loss:

• I remember that God is love, and that He is Sovereign. God’s love means He always does everything for my benefit. God’s sovereignty means that He is in control of everything. With this knowledge and belief, I can see past the loss and remember it will turn out for good.
• Spending time daily in the Word of God keeps me humble, gives me perspective, and prepares me for any moment. He often leads me to the perfect verse for what I need that day.
• I let other Christians help reorient my thinking and help me trust God. A strong Christian coach reminded me to remember my purpose for wrestling. He mentioned that God wants the best for me. These were helpful words that led to praise even in a loss.

Christians must keep their mind spiritually engaged and focused on life's greater purpose. Then we will be able to praise the Lord in all circumstances.

Action Points:

• Remember that God is love and that God is sovereign. He is always working out everything for our benefit.
• Practice being quiet instead of complaining about a situation.
• Thank God at the end of every day for all the things that happened.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being in control of all things and working everything out for my good. Thank you for having a great plan and for doing what is necessary to mature me in my faith. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Summary

The biblical story of Joseph has applications to the life of an athlete.

Joseph, one of Jacob’s sons, had dreams of greatness and leadership as a young man. But his journey had hardships and setbacks. It is like an athlete's injuries or failures. He experienced bad calls and injustice. Despite the trials, Joseph trusted God, maintained his integrity, and continued to persevere.

Over time, Joseph’s faith and perseverance saw a reward. He rose to power and ultimately saved his family and many others from famine. Joseph understood that God was working, even when the path seemed unclear. Through it all, he gave glory to God.

Our prayer is that before, during and after your competition, you will have a similar perspective. Keep God's word in front of you and focus your eyes on Him!

Next Steps

Athletes in Action has other plans dealing with sports. You can use those plans to also equip you for competition. You can find those plans on the AIA Connection page in the Bible App. Click the "Follow" button to receive notifications of new content.

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