“We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up” (2 Corinthians 4:8, ERV).

          Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Lombardi Trophy by beating the Kansas City Chiefs in convincing fashion by a score of 40-22. Since that time, many have taken to social media to decry the Chiefs season as an epic failure. One Kansas City headline read: “Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes fail in quest for 3-peat.”

          The fallout of the Chief’s loss leads me to ask an important question. Is there a difference between failure and defeat? The celebrated, former coach of the Green Bay Packers never admitted to failure. Lombardi argued that he never lost a game, he just ran out of time.

          For Lombardi, one must distinguish between failure and defeat. Failures and losses are viewed as temporary setbacks. Succumbing to defeat is permanent. People who accept defeat lose hope and become mired in regret.

            Like Lombardi, Paul never admitted defeat. Even still, Paul had more than his fair share of losses. Acts 17 bears witness to Paul’s failure to establish a church in Athens. Following an impassioned sermon at Mars Hill, few people came to faith in Christ.

            Yet Paul’s words to the Corinthians demonstrate why Paul refused to give into discouragement. “We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up.” As Christians, Paul believed that just as we have died with Christ, we have also been granted the power of Christ’s resurrection. The same power that raised Jesus from death into life is made available to each of us, so that we might rise up and keep trying following our losses.

            For those of us who follow Christ, our losses are but opportunities to learn and grow from the mistakes we may have made. Our failures are but steppingstones that bring us one stride closer to our victories. Our setbacks are simply preludes to our crowd thrilling comebacks.

            Friends, none of us can control every loss we incur. But we can control how we respond to our losses by refusing to admit defeat. The spoils of victory may go to the Philadelphia Eagles this year. But don’t give up, Chief’s nation. You will have another shot at a championship next year—that is if the Bengals don’t win punch their ticket to Super Bowl ahead of you!