Winning, Losers, and the Example of Christ

Too many evangelicals have forgotten what the God they worship—the most powerful Being of all—has taught us by his example that the “successful” use of power is counterintuitive.

He Emptied Himself

If anyone had a right to cling to power and wield it over everyone, it was God, the Creator of all that is. But Philippians 2 tells us that he “emptied himself” (v.7 NRSV). God emptied himself of his power (though not of his divinity) and embraced the weakness of the cross. Glory only came after the cross. Paul writes,

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

—Philippians 2:5-8 NIV

If Jesus was an American evangelical, everybody would say he was a terrible failure because he wasn’t winning. They would say his ratings weren’t very good. They would point out the power of that Bible-quoting politician or the appeal of that megachurch pastor or the glitz of that neighboring church’s new building. But death on the cross? What a failure! This Jesus guy is a total loser!

But Jesus taught us that the way to win in God’s kingdom is through losing. The way to life is through the cross. The way of victory comes through suffering. The life of a Christian is hidden with Christ in God.

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?—Luke 9:23-25 NIV

The Bible shows us again and again that God chooses unlikely people to do his work. He does not generally choose exceptional “winners.” He chooses castoffs, waifs, rejects, widows, orphans, the powerless. I love that about God. I love that he is close to the oppressed and broken, that he values them more than the well-connected. I love that he is present in the poor in spirit, the meek, persecuted (Matthew 5:1-12).

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.

—Luke 1:51-53

I love that God replies to the latest Donald Trump tweet about “losers and winners” or “low ratings” with the lived demonstration of power through weakness, through the cross of Jesus Christ.