Recovering From A Losing Season
Have you ever experienced a losing season? A losing season occurs when you fail more then you succeed, lose more then you win, or travel further backwards then you do forward. Losing seasons occur for a variety of reasons, none of which are acceptable. Many who have made great strides in the past, have found that in the final analysis, they have lost more then they’ve gained, or that the price they paid for their success was not worth the gain. Losing seasons are certainly disastrous.
Many are not as fortunate as Joe McCarthy who died in 1978. He won seven World Series with the New York Yankees. Even while serving with the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox he never experienced a losing season in 24 years. While Reggie Jackson was known as the homerun slugger, few remember that there were seasons when it seemed as though he couldn’t hit. Eddie Robinson, who served, as Head Coach at Grambling University became known for his record 400 wins. Though his accomplishments are in the record books, they are overshadowed by his losses. Michael Jordan is known as the greatest basketball ever; however the truth be known, he missed more shots then he made.
There are many factors that contribute to losing seasons. Sometimes variables beyond individual control cause the problem. Sometimes it’s personal personality flaws that create the problem. Sometimes it’s just poor judgment.
In the eyes of the world, a champion is only as good as his last season. It has always amazed me how easy it is for the world to turn its back on its heroes, when they have a dry spell. I have found though, that it is those who survive the dry spell that are the true winners of life.
Consider if you will, the California grape farmer. He invested his life savings into his vineyards. His investment was flawed by a long hot summer that dried up sources of water everywhere. He having only a few available workers and even less water, stood and watched in dismay as his grapes withered to the ground. After a long night of prayer and supplication, he received a revelation and on the next day he went out and packed his grapes in boxes. He went to town where he sold his grapes. He sold more raisins then he did grapes. He turned his losing season into a winning season.
As believers, losing seasons do come. We have learned the secret of overcoming our losing seasons. That secret is to trust in the Lord. When we trust God we turn losing seasons into winning season.
Our text today focuses on how a godly King, Asa of Judah, reverses the misfortunes of his kingdom, by returning to worship and praise of God.
Asa, whose name means physician, was the third king of Judah. Historically he is known for rooting idolatry out of his land and returning it to God. Asa reigned following the infamous reigns of his grandfather Rehoboam and his father Abijah.
Under King David and King Solomon, the nation appeared to enjoy back to back winning seasons. 2nd Chronicles begins to tell the story of a long season when the nation lost the prosperity it enjoyed under Solomon.
Chapters 10, 11, and 12 detail what can be best described as the beginning of what would be a “long season” of decline for the nation. After the death of Solomon the kingdom split under king Rehoboam. Instead of one nation, they were divided. Instead of a reign of peace they were at war. Instead of commercial prosperity, they were scrapping to get by.
Chapter 13 details the three-year reign of King Abijah, who was wicked like his father.
Chapter 14 finds the new King Asa desperately trying to turn things around. He took down the foreign altars and commanded the people to obey the laws of God.
Chapter 15 finds God speaking to the prophet Azaraiah and sending a message to king Asa with away to recover from Judah’s long season of frustration, setback, war and division. The solution was simple, “seek God and you will find Him. Forsake Him and He will forsake you.” The prophets message was clear. If Judah was willing to return to God He would resume His blessings. If they chose to continue living apart from Him then their long season would continue.
Verse 15:4 notes that the people in their distress did turn to God and they sought after him. When they sought Him he was found. Asa led them to a renewed faith and worship of God.
In the eyes of the world it is easy to determine whether you have had a winning season. Generally, the world says you have had a winning season if your net income last year was higher than the year before. If you accumulated more profit than loss in business then you had a good year. If you came closer to reaching your career goals, despite your setbacks, you had a good year. That’s how the world perceives a winning season. It counts the number of victories and subtracts the number of losses and determines whether you won or lost.
However, it is possible to have achieved great heights in the eyes of man and still have a losing season in the eyes of God. God does not measure us by material things because “…the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof.” He is not impressed by our new car, jewelry, home, or income. He judges us on the basis of our spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth requires more than a superficial count of possessions. It requires a long look in the mirror. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for any individual is self-analysis. It is easy for us to arm chair analyze the situations of others, pointing out their shortcomings, earmarking their faults and second-guessing their actions. It is more difficult to analyze ourselves. That’s why Paul says in 2nd Corinthian 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…”
There are tell tale signs of a losing season. Those who study the bible, worship and actively serve God less, despite their external signals generally have had a losing season with God. These are believers who have not become practicing sinners, running to the bar and nightclubs. They are not whoremongers and drunkards, thieves or lawbreakers. These are otherwise morally upstanding individuals who for whatever reasons have squeezed God out of their schedules. They are so busy trying to make the rest of their lives a winning season that their spiritual live are a loss.
Like Judah there are still others who have turned away from God completely. They have placed themselves on a fast track of drinking, gambling, partying, drugs and riotous living. The spiritual strength they once knew has diminished to nothing. They are constantly uneasy, disturbed, and troubled in spirit. Their soul is not satisfied. They are constantly searching and looking for that evasive “something” that evades them constantly. Though they may seem to have much, they are in a losing season.
No one is exempt from a losing season: preachers, deacons, Sunday school teachers, faithful believers, all can have a losing season, if we are not vigilant. Elijah was a great prophet of God and after the success of his Mt. Carmel contest with the prophets of Baal, had a losing season. In fear he hid by a brook until he heard the voice of God in a still small voice and recovered. Peter had a brief losing season from which he quickly recovered after sinking in the water. The strongest believers have experienced losing seasons.
Yet God sent a word to Judah. The word was the same word that he sends to believers today. There is a way to recover from a losing season.
Judah recovered by placing God once again on the front burner. When they put God first, not only did they recover from a losing season but they turned a losing season into a winning season!
It is possible to take a life that is on the rocks and transform it into a renewed source of energy!
It is possible to take a faith that is hovering on the brink of despair and give it a renewed hope!
It is possible to take a courage that is teetering on the brink of fear and recharge its spirit of bravery!
When we put our trust in the Lord, we turn losing seasons into winning seasons!
When we put our trust in the Lord he makes our:
- RACE worth running and our Battle worth fighting!
- COURSE worth finishing and our FAITH worth keeping!
- DIFFICULTIES worth facing and our BURDENS worth bearing!
- ANXIETIES worth enduring and our TEARS worth shedding!
When we trust in the Lord, we turn dark days into sun shiny days; Midnights into noontimes and hard times into good times!
No wonder the songwriter declared: “I will trust in the Lord until I die…” As I go further through life, I’m working on a winning season! I’m gonna keep my hands in the winding chain! I will trust in the Lord until I die!