Yesterday I mentioned that I went to Clemson University, and I related an inspiring story about one of our alumni. If you’ve followed the Ewellogy long enough, you know that I write about Clemson football from time to time and their coach Dabo Swinney, a strong believer. It was especially fun when we were winning.

But this year Clemson is not winning. In short, we have no offense. As I write this, Clemson is 2 wins, 2 losses, and ranked 25th (I don’t know why), down from #3 at the beginning of the season. Last Saturday, Clemson lost to NC State. I’ve been looking for Dabo’s response, and I finally found it. Here’s some of what he said as reported by ESPN:

“We have to keep working…It’s easy to be all in when everything’s great, but we’ve got to persevere through all this.” “ALL IN” is one of Dabo’s mantras. “If we’re all “all in,” we can compete for the national championship. What if we can’t? Dozens of college football teams play week after week knowing that they won’t win every game and that they have no chance at a championship.

As believers, we know Jesus wins in the end (read Revelation!), but in the meantime, life can be tough. Churches can be small and struggling. Missionaries can go for years with little apparent fruit. Individuals have major health issues. Have you read Paul’s summary of his ministry?

…with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (2 Corinthians 11.23 – 27, ESV)

Paul was ALL IN, but it didn’t look like one exciting victory after another. I think Paul would have agreed with Isaac Watt’s 1721 hymn “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?”

[Jesus] was sheer weakness and humiliation when he was killed on the Cross, but oh, he’s alive now—in the mighty power of God! 2 Corinthians 13.4, MSG)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33, ESV)