A Champion

"Pull!” I yelled and gritted my teeth.

Grunts sounded in unison.

My hands gripped the rope tighter as my homeroom lined up behind me and held onto it. I did not mind how the rope made my palms burn. We would be insanely sore the next day. Some might pull a muscle. So be it. “Tug-of-War Champ” was a highly sought-after title, and our class was going to win, no matter the cost.

I took the stance—knees slightly bent, feet apart, with one in front of the other. Then I sat back and used the strength of my legs to pull. Everyone else did the same. The enemy class—I mean, the opposing class—lurched forward as we tugged. I saw the struggle in their eyes, and it spurred me on.

“Keep going!” I dug my heels into the gym floor and ignored my throbbing palms. “Pull! We can do it!”

We tugged and pulled. Grunts and groans grew louder, and inch by inch our efforts moved the other team closer and closer to the line until . . .

We yanked them across! Our class erupted in cheers. We were one step closer to being the champs!

Because of Jesus’s sacrifice and God’s defeat of Satan, we are not playing tug-of-war. Isaiah 42:13 reminds us God prevails over the enemy!

God has already fought the war for us and won! We are not fighting the match that decides if God or Satan wins. God has already fought and won, and we get the “highly sought-after” title of being on the champion team! Romans 8:37 says it like this: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Because of Jesus, we are more than conquerors. We are on God’s team—the winning team! And with every kind word, display of generosity, and act of selflessness, we get the privilege of reflecting Jesus the Champion-King.

Our homeroom lost the last tug-of-war match. Heartbreaking. But there is no loss if you are on God’s team.

Remember, when we are on God’s team, we are champions!

Thank you for reading!

This plan was adapted from In Case You Forget: A 6-Week Devotional about Who You Are in Jesus by author Hannah R. Conway. Click here to learn more or purchase your copy.