• Scripture: II Corinthians 4:8-10
  • Broadcast Date: 04/03/2017

II Corinthians 4:8-10

The other day I ran across a quote that the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan made that I could hardly believe.

He said, “I’ve lost more than 300 games. There were 26 games when I was given the ball in the last seconds to make the basket that would have won the game. But it didn’t happen—I missed the shot and we lost. I have failed over and over. And that’s why I succeed.”

I about fell off of my chair! How can you succeed when you fail? But that is exactly what Michael Jordan is saying. In so many words he is telling us, if you want to excel, then worry not about failing, never give up, learn from the failures but never give up, never stay down, but always get back up and try again. It certainly worked for him, no question about it.

I thought, as I read that illustration, it applies in the spiritual world as well as the sports world. As a matter of fact, that is precisely what the Apostle Paul tells us, listen to him admonish all who fight the good fight: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” (II Corinthians 4:8-10).

Do you want to succeed in the Christian life? The answer is simple, never give up!