Gracious Loser

Growing up, I played sports. Basically anything that allowed me to compete. Turns out I have a competitive nature and loved what it felt like to win.

If I had to choose my favorite sport, it would have to be soccer. Maybe it’s because it was the first sport I played, or the one I felt the most comfortable in. Whatever the reason, it still is my favorite.

As I said, I preferred to win rather than lose. I mean I played for fun and enjoyment but at the end of it all, I enjoyed it much more if I won. That being said, losing didn’t stop me from playing the game. In fact, losing probably taught me more than winning ever did.

Losing taught me about grace. It taught me how to move from being a sore loser to a gracious loser.

The games where I tried to blame it on the refs, the “dirty play” of the other team, or anything else to take the heat off of me for losing didn’t really make me feel any better. It actually made me angrier. The games where I realized that the other team outplayed, outhustled, or just was flat out better than my team, I was able to be more at peace with losing.

Being a gracious loser isn’t easy. It’s not easy to say that you got beat, at least not for me anyways. But if we spend our lives as the sore loser we are missing out on one of the greatest things which is grace. Grace allows us to love even when we lose. It takes the resentment, the bitterness, and the anger and turns it into peace, understanding, and ultimately love for others.

Life will gives us wins and it will give us losses. Will we spend our time reliving the losses day after day blaming everyone and everything for it not turning out in our favor? Or can we learn to be a gracious loser, no matter the outcome, and just be thankful to have played the game?

I’m rooting for you, win or lose. At the end of the day grace must be extended to all, not just those who are on our team.

With love, 

Tori