On December 9, OMS President Jeff Edwards shared a story of a friend who had a particularly interesting habit. The habit? His friend recorded all of his favorite football team's games. This may seem typical, but here’s where it gets a bit unusual. Before watching the recording, he would check the score to see if his team had won or lost. If his team won he’d merrily sit down to enjoy the recording, knowing that every fumble, turnover, or missed play wouldn’t change the outcome. But if his team lost, he wouldn’t watch the game.
It’s a little interesting when you think about it. Most of us watch sports games live, not knowing what will happen, holding our breath during those close, nail-biting moments. But knowing the end of the story completely changes how you experience the game. It’s hard to be anxious about a fumble when you already know your team is going to win.
This isn’t just a quirky way to watch football, it’s a powerful way to think about life. Life, like sports games, is full of wins and losses. We will be let down, and we will let others down. We will win some school/work days and lose others. We will win some friendships, and we will lose some. We will fumble and turn the ball over. And some days it may feel like all we are doing is losing.
But here’s the good news: we as Christians already know the outcome. Through Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, victory has already been secured. We don’t have to worry about the final score or live in fear of failure. This is the only story in our lives where we know ahead with certainty that we, through our Savior, have ultimately won. The greatest story of all—our redemption—is already written!
This truth should give us immense faith and comfort. So, when we fumble, turn the ball over, or feel as if all we are doing is losing, let us rest knowing that the Lord is still at work in our lives. He’s here to pick us up and remind us of the fact that the final score hasn’t changed. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
It’s not always easy to live in complete faith. However, we can find peace in the fact that God’s grace is enough. We don’t have to get everything right, the outcome doesn’t depend on our pursuit of perfection or, thankfully, our imperfections.
So, what would it look like to live with the freedom of knowing the final score? To walk through life with the joy and peace that come from having faith in God’s promise? For we have already won the game. So let us live like it, and watch it with joy.
By Olivia Hogsett, Communications Associate, January 2025
