Giving glory to the Lord seems easy when we achieve some success. We can simply say "thank God for [insert achievement here]." But when we face failures, most of us find it almost impossible to bless His name.
In fact, some of us will likely put the blame on Him.
Friend, the Bible gives us a simple truth that is illustrated in the life of Job: He was able to glorify the Lord in loss. "Blessed be the name of the Lord," Job said when his children and livestock were taken from him (see Job 1:21).
And since Job was a man just like us, we can do the same.
It's encouraging to know that our God remains the same whether we win or lose in any situation. We get a promotion, He stays the same. We get demoted, He remains the same, unfazed and immovable – our faithful and loving God who deserves all the praise and the glory every time.
Are you looking for ways to glorify the Lord in all that you do? Then praise Him in failures and loss. Here are a few ways to do that.
1. Praise Him when you lose to someone else
Stephen Curry, an outspoken Christian in the Golden State Warriors' roster, glorified God along with his family after losing both Games 6 and 7 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"Everything according to his plan," Steph's wife, Ayesha, tweeted. "Always glory to God!!!!!!!!"
Like Steph and his family, we can also praise God in defeat. Job praised God after his loss. Paul praised God after all the troubles that he went through. If they were able to, we can do that, too.
2. Focus on the good that God has done
Paul said in Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things."
We should meditate not on the loss or the failure. Rather, we should look for what God has done for us.
Although Internet trolls bashed Steph and the Warriors for the loss, he and his family decided to take the high road. According to a World Religion News report, "they came together as a family and reflected on their faith and blessings." If they did it, we could, too.
3. Keep hoping in the Lord
Did that loss make you feel like giving up? Don't, because God's not done yet. The Bible says that He "who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
God's not done with you yet. Think of that failure as a stepping stone, probably a lesson that you couldn't understand yet. God wants us all to grow in Christ-likeness, and will never stop until He finishes what He began in us.
