“Become the kind of player other people want to sit next to. The Bible’s word for this is grace. Play with grace. Cultivate a gracious spirit.”- John Ortberg
John Ortberg begins Chapter 19 (“Be the Kind of Player People Want to Sit Next To”) of When the Game is Over with an observation about reaching full Monopoly potential. For example, The Monopoly Companion lists the number one strategy for winning that game. That tip? – be the kind of player others want to sit next to, and don’t mind losing to. Because, in order to complete the deals and trades, you must cultivate a gracious spirit. You need cooperation to win.
Therefore, Pastor Ortberg underscores, the game of life presents three challenges you must navigate with grace. John talks about the first challenge today.
1. Lose with grace. You cannot avoid losing in life. It’s inevitable. Most noteworthy, losing gives us an invaluable window into our character development. As John cautions: “To live is to lose. but to lose badly, gracelessly, can be lethal.”
Thus, true self-esteem only comes from knowing we can handle the wins and losses of living in the real world. We require a lot of grace to lose well. Hence, Pastor Ortberg observes, losing well means:
- having the humility to face reality full in the face with no excuses; yet possessing confidence not to let losing define our identity
- no excuses, blaming, or self-pity; but, no self-condemnation either
- acquiring the discernment necessary to know when to quit and when to persevere
- learning how to offer congratulations
- learning how to let go of an outcome you cannot change; rather, hold on to the will to live fully and well
Today’s question: What blocks your desire to cultivate a gracious spirit? Conversely, what enables you to play with grace? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Graceful winners – caught up in something bigger”
