Having A Loss On Your Resume Doesn't Make You A Loser.

Philemon Vss. 10-11 - I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.     NASU

• Dan Gable: HS and Collegiate Record 181-1 

If you follow the sport of wrestling then you will sooner or later hear the name Dan Gable. Dan won 181 matches in a row while in high school and college. He was in the finals of his senior year at Iowa State before he would experience his first loss. He lost his very last collegiate match at the 1970 NCAA tournament. As listed above he went 181-1 in his high school and collegiate career. I think you would probably agree with me then having a loss on your resume doesn't make you a loser.
 
In speaking with Dan years ago I asked him about that one loss and he said, "It was the best thing that had happened to him. I refocused after that loss and trained harder than ever before." In 1971 he will become the Pan-American Champion and the World Champion at 68 kg. In 1972 Dan would become the Olympic Champion at the same weight and he wouldn't even be scored upon. 

• Onesimus: Has a Blemish on His Resume 

Onesimus (his name means Profitable) was a slave in the 1st century and he ran away from his owner Philemon. Running away from your owner would definitely blemish your record. While he was on the run God intervenes and has him make a connection with the Apostle Paul. Once this connection has been made he becomes a convert to Christianity and will begin to become "Profitable" as his name states.
 
Paul says to Philemon that Onesimus who was once useless to you is now useful. He has a blemish on his resume but that doesn't mean he is useless.

• What About Us? 

What is the blemish that is on our resume? Did we lose at something? Maybe we lost more than once to the same opponent. It is time to become an "Onesimus" or in other words it is time to become "Profitable".
 
Do we need to change our thinking?

There are way too many people who have become the victim of "stinking thinking". That is when we think negative about our life and what we are going through. We start thinking "Everyone else always gets all the breaks and we never get anything to go our way".
 
One of the first things we were taught in a counseling class I took was to be on the look out for when you hear people who are complaining using the words "always and never".

The first thing you want to do is challenge them on the "Always and Never" statements. 
 
They have had something go there way in life.  So this negates the "never". They are just not seeing them now. They have allowed themselves for some reason to fall into the "poor me-isms". When things don't go our way the best thing we can do is refocus. Investigate why things didn't go our way.
 
What little adjustments do we need to make to become the victor? Identify it, correct it and move on up the ladder. We all have had blemishes on our resumes but that isn't any reason to trash the resume (your life) and not even try for what it is you desire.
 
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to Philemon about Onesimus, "but now (he) is useful both to you and to me." 
 
It is your time to be useful now. Do we need to submit our resume or help someone submit their resume for a better life?
 
Think About These:
 
The right angle to approach a difficult problem is the "try-angle".

Giving it another try is better than an alibi. 

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word