Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Are You OK with Losing?

Since this is Super Bowl week, I know that everyone is focused on football. And I am too, but I'm still following the happenings with my beloved Reds. I read a quote from manager Dusty Baker this week that is sticking with me. (I know some of you aren't baseball fans. Read on…because ultimately, this is much bigger than baseball.)

It's no secret that the Reds had another lackluster season last year. Ok…they weren't just lackluster. They were terrible. Dusty Baker noted three things that have to change from last year. Got this from Hal McCoy's blog.

Here are the three things that must change from last year, according to Dusty…

1. "We had excessive strikeouts."

2. "We played poor defense."

3. "When we lost, some guys left the clubhouse like it was no big deal. It is a big deal to me. I don’t like to lose."

That last one really grabbed me. The first two are tangible. You can count strikeouts. You can keep a record of errors in the field.

But the last one is intangible…and yet it's probably the most important of the three. It's about passion. It's about intensity. It's about giving your all and not settling for anything less.

The above phrases should describe every church on this planet. The church should be filled with passionate, intense believers who give their very best to the mission every single day.

We expect Major League Baseball players to approach the game that way. After all, they're getting paid millions of dollars to play a game. The least they could do is give their best effort. That's not always the case, though.

How much more should the church expect from its members? No, you're not getting paid millions of dollars. You've got something much better…the promise of heaven. The opportunity to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." The prospect of saving people from a real place called hell.

For far too long, the church has been losing ground…and some in the church have seemed indifferent.

That stops now.

I'm dead serious. It stops now. I have no intention to be content with losing. There is no way that I'm going to be satisfied if the church is less than passionate about the mission that God has given us. There is too much at stake. This isn't a game. It's eternally serious business.

Maybe you think I'm crazy. Maybe you think that one man can't make that kind of difference in the church. And maybe you're right…but I'm going to spend my life trying.

What about you? Are you in?