Ok, so I should just come out and say that I’m a Patriots fan.

I was born in New England and have lived there for almost my whole life.

New England is and always will be a part of who I am,  no matter where I live.

So, when I moved to Tennessee, it wasn’t a tough decision between rooting for the Tennessee Titans or New England (sorry to any Titans fans out there).

I know there are thousands of people that detest the Patriots and those people were full heartedly rooting for the Eagles Sunday night., but you know what… that’s okay.

I’m not bitter about the Patriots losing.

I humbly accepted the defeat.

Why?

Earlier in the day on Sunday, I watched a video about faith in the Eagles and Patriots locker room, entitled Football Sunday.

Watching the Eagles talk about their faith was very moving. Their talk didn’t seem fake, but raw and genuine.

Before Sunday night, the Eagles had never won a Super Bowl before.

Even though I’m a Patriots fan, it was nice to see another team get a chance at winning.

The Eagles did a great job and they deserved their win. Upon receiving the Lombardi trophy, a few players took a moment to thank God and give Him the glory.

Even though the Patriots lost, I can still consider it a win for Christ’s kingdom, as the players glorified God with the moments they used to bring honor to His name.

We rarely see players thanking God and giving Him the glory.

Since I was happy to see the Eagles glorify God, I was able to walk into work Monday with a smile on my face. I wasn’t going to let a loss ruin my day.

Football may seem silly in the whole grand scheme of things, but we can learn from it.

We won’t always win the fight or battle. Loss is inevitable. It’s how we bounce back that can make all the difference.

“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”
Vince Lombardi

So, our team might have lost, it was pouring rain, someone was rude…we can’t let those little things ruin our whole day.

We don’t need to throw a pity party. We don’t need to be harsh and cruel to those who won or those who like the rain.

We can be kind and keep on our merry way.

The Christian life is full of spiritual battles. It may seem like Satan almost always wins. When we ask for God’s help, He will help us obtain victory.

We can’t win the fight without His help.

Psalm 40:2

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

When we fall, He will be there to pick us up and give us the strength to keep going.

When we feel like we are losing, we can be optimistic. Optimistic of what God will do and the many opportunities and victories that will come because of Him.

Let’s rise up after the fall and be ready for what God will do!