On 18 January 2012 the longest winning streak of a university’s squash team—252 consecutive victories—ended. The morning after the team’s first loss in 14 years, their trainer received an email from a friend, a famous football manager, who wrote, “Well, now you get to bounce back.” Ten days later, that football manager’s team lost in a major tournament. All of us must cope with defeat.

The feeling of failure after a defeat in sport is the same as when we make mistakes in our lives. How can we recover from grieving God and others, along with disappointing ourselves? The apostle John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). God forgives us because Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins (2:2).

God’s forgiveness sets us free to begin again and focus on today’s opportunity rather than yesterday’s defeat. His faithful cleansing allows us to start again with a pure heart. Today God invites and enables us to bounce back.

Author

David C. McCasland

Topics

Our Daily Bread