"Almost Won"

It was second place, at the matched horse race,

Lost only by a nose,

Close, you see, but not to be,

As every loser knows.

That single-hock, five to the clock,

Meant quick was might have been,

He had ‘em, too, but one fell through,

And took away the win.

That best bronc ride, I will confide,

Just half a second short,

It must be eight, when they throw that gate,

In this old cowboy sport.

We’ve all had close, even the pros,

Don’t always finish first,

But have to say, as they walk away,

They had their bubble burst.

So what to do, I’m telling you,

When you can’t quite get it done,

Do you sit and cry, and quit your try,

‘Cause second-best you won.

I say your tries, this might surprise,

Should on God’s altar lay,

Let Him define, success align,

Hear what He has to say.

For after all, when you hit the wall,

God may say, that’s enough,

Go this way, you’ll be okay,

You’ve got all the right stuff.

Success, you see, is meant to be,

How well we do His will,

To spread His love, and get rid of,

What His Spirit will not fill.

“But whatever was to my profiat I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philippians 3:7-8, NIV)

.Paul’s ideas about success and what he wanted to accomplish were redefined by his relationship to Jesus. Things he thought were important he now considered worthless. When he was required to sacrifice something, he considered it an honor. What was this all about? It was about knowing Jesus and making Him known. Nothing was more important, and all else was measured by it. Allowing God’s will to be our top priority changes everything.

Lord, define our success, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jack Sorenson, used by permission. Thanks, Jack, and God bless you.