Losers

From where he sat in the classroom, Tim had a view of all his fellow students. All of them were scholars of a local high school in a small town. Most of them had been together since primary school. This class was not the most popular one in school, in fact, that was an understatement. They were labelled “losers” by the rest of the school because not one of them achieved any trophy or prize on the sport field. The honours that were achieved, were in connection with academic or cultural activities and boy, did that sink the honour ship for them.

Tim was one of the quiet ones in class who preferring studying insects in the garden rather than fooling around with others or watching television.

He remembers one day when another boy, Josh, found him in the garden exclaiming with disgust, “Oh, you are such a loser!”

Sally sat next to Tim in class. She was very unpopular because she was a child of the richest people in town. Almost all the other children in school were children of butchers, bakers and toilet-brush makers, employees of the rich business empire owned by Sally’s parents. She could wear all the expensive perfume of the world, the smell of money still came through. She was called Loser with a capital L.

Today Tim is science professor and he was sitting in a restaurant, waiting for his wife, Sally, his former fellow student from high school, when he saw Josh approaching him. “Is this really you, Tim? Wow, you look good. How are you?”

Tim was about to answer when Sally arrived. “Look, Sally, you remember Josh?”

Good to see you, Josh! How are you?” As she gave him a hug.

“You two look so good!” Josh said. “What happened to you? Why do you look so happy? Why are you so different from the time you were lo…. you were in school!”

Tim laughed. “Yes, you could say we were losers because everyone called us losers. We discovered that we were indeed losers, but so were you Josh.”

“Why do you say that?” Josh enquired.

“We met Jesus. I suppose you could say that if humans were winners, it would not have been necessary for Jesus to die for us, and yet, Jesus never looks at us, or anybody else for that matter, as losers.”

Tim continued, “However, if Sally and I did not realise that we are losing it in life, we would definitely have lost our lives. We have accepted Jesus and He calls us winners now. It is the most wonderful experience to be on His winning side!”

Josh replied, “I am also a Christian today and in all honesty, when we called you losers, we did that because we were jealous. When I gave my life to Christ I felt so bad about the way I treated you. We were jealous because Jesus protected you guys. There was a kind of presence in your class that were absent in all the others and I am positive it is because Jesus was covering you. I suppose He saw the unfair treatment and His love for you covered you from all sides, even before you gave your life to Him.”

If you, while reading this, would be feeling like a loser today, remember that Jesus is standing very close to you, protecting you and covering you in His love. Remember there are no losers in the world. Just accept that and lay down fear, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy and find rest in the love of Jesus. (1 John 3:16)