“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12-13 ESV
I was sitting on the porch this morning watching my human drink coffee and read his Bible. I got to thinking about underdogs.
Now, being a dog, I know a little something about being an underdog. Most of the time, I’m outnumbered, outmatched, and outvoted. The squirrels run the fence line like they own the place, the neighborhood cats look down their noses at me, and even the UPS man seems to have the upper hand.
But I keep showing up.
My human was reading about the darkness in this world and how those who follow Jesus shouldn’t be surprised when standing for what is right doesn’t make them popular.
Made me think.
Jesus was hardly the world’s idea of a winner. Born in a stable, raised in an ordinary family, without earthly wealth, political power, or a public relations department. He didn’t come riding in with an army or demanding a throne. He came as a servant, loved the unlovable, welcomed the outcasts, challenged the religious establishment, and ultimately surrendered His life on a cross.
The world called it defeat.
Heaven called it victory.
And those of us who follow Him shouldn’t expect to always be the favorites, either.
We live in a world where darkness sometimes gets the microphone, where truth gets twisted, righteousness gets ridiculed, and standing for Jesus can cost us something. There are days when it seems like the odds are stacked against those who believe, live, and speak according to God’s Word.
But here’s what my human reminded me this morning: We’re not called to win the world’s approval. We’re called to be faithful to Jesus.
Being an underdog doesn’t mean being powerless. We have the truth of God’s Word, the presence of the Holy Spirit, the promise of Christ’s return, and the assurance that the darkness will never overcome the Light.
So don’t confuse being outnumbered with being on the wrong side.
Don’t confuse being unpopular with being unfaithful.
And don’t mistake the world’s definition of winning for God’s definition of victory.
I may be just a dog, but I’ve learned something about facing bigger opponents. You don’t have to be the biggest, loudest, or meanest to stand your ground. You just need to know who you’re standing with.
Jesus has already overcome the world. Our job is to follow Him, shine His light, love our neighbors, speak the truth, and remain faithful even when the crowd goes the other way.
After all, the cross looked like the end of the story, but Sunday morning proved otherwise.
Turns out, God’s been in the business of turning underdogs into overcomers all along.
And that’s good enough for this old lazy dog.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
