When the Underdog Wins!

Last week concluded this year’s US Open tennis tournament in Flushing Queens. As we do most years, my brothers, Chris and John, and I attended during the first week—actually on opening day. It’s always a great opportunity to see so many different players from around the world, some that are well known and some that might be new on the scene. And, what’s always most interesting in a tournament like this are the number of upsets that take place—i.e. when a lower ranked player (an underdog who at times is completely unknown) defeats a higher ranked player.  And, such was the case many times over in this year’s tournament. 

One such case in point was in the women’s final when the 19-year-old Canadian, Bianca Andreescu defeated the veteran Serena Williams. It was a terrible loss for Serena and an incredible win for Bianca, who only came on the scene in any major way this past year.  Bianca the underdog beat the favorite in two straight sets, and at the end of it all was stunned by her own win! It was an exciting moment for Bianca and the fans.  After all, everyone loves to see an underdog win.

Andreescu is stunned by her own win over Williams

When I think of an underdog, I can’t help but think of the story of David and Goliath. Goliath, a giant for his time and fully armored as well as experienced at war, was the natural winner in that battle. David, a young teenage shepherd who knew only how to use a sling, was surely at a great disadvantage. Yet, David knew that with God on his side there was no such thing as an underdog as he challenged Goliath with those words, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Samuel 17:45 – NIV) Before he knew it, with one stone flying out of his sling, David the underdog had taken down the top-seeded guy in the tournament; God had given David a great victory!

Have you ever felt like the underdog in life?  At times it can feel as if the challenges of life are much greater than you are and thus have an incredible advantage over you. It might be an illness you’ve been fighting or a task you’ve been given at work. Maybe it’s the fight you are facing against the pressures of this world that seem to have an upper hand. It could be that there is just so much stuff coming your way that their cumulative effect makes it all seem so overwhelming.  We all know what it’s like to feel like the underdog.  And, the tendency is to want to cave in, run away, or lose faith.

I want to remind us, however, with God by our side, there is no such thing as an underdog in life.  What seems impossible for us to handle or tackle is yet possible with God. By means of his grace and strength and the empowerment of his Spirit, we can conquer enemies much greater than ourselves. With faith in our hearts we can even move mountains! With God on our side, we can take down the giants that stand before us. Thus, there is no need to run, hide, or lose faith. Rather, we can face the challenges of life head on “in the name of the Lord Almighty.”

So, today let’s believe God to give to us some unexpected victories. After all, in his kingdom there are no underdogs, just children of God!

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris