So far, it seems that 2017 is shaping up as the season of comebacks.
In January, at the Australian Open, the Williams sisters faced off again, with Serena winning her 23rd major title. And the men’s final also echoed earlier days when Roger Federer, the oldest man on the court at a wrinkly 35, came back to beat his nemesis, Raphael Nadal, in a nail-biting final.
And the trend continued February 14 when “Rumor,” a sleek German Shepherd, won Westminster’s Best in Show in New York City. At five-years-old (thirty-something in dog years) Rumor had already retired to an assumed life of motherhood, when her owner brought her back to the show ring. The Westminster was her 104th career win.
But February opened with one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports history, the Super Bowl win by the New England Patriots. Down 21-3 at the half, they came back to win 34-28 in overtime.
After the “Wows!” died down, the question that rounded the internet was simple. What in the world did Patriots Coach Bill Belichick say during halftime? Answer: Not much. Patriot Tackle Nate Solder said, “He said that we have to keep doing what we’re doing, play like we know how to play and not think about what happened.”
Most of the time comebacks are not about talent. Comebacks are about experience. Comebacks are about focus, endurance, and the ability to put the first half behind us.
Comebacks define our faith. Trusting God to the end. Hanging on when we are weary. Believing He knows better than we do. And accepting His grace so that we can rise from the ashes and return to obedient service.
Because we tend to wane in harsh times, God consistently reminds us that He is in charge and those who trust in Him can find a second wind (Is. 40:31), get back up when suffering knocks us down (Prov. 24:16), and outlast the exhaustion of serving others (Gal. 6:9).
But if we are prone to give out, we are even more prone to give up on ourselves. That’s when we meet His grace. Grace is not earned in perseverance. Grace is accepted in despair. When we have failed God, that’s when our comeback can be the greatest. Not because of us. But because of Him.
Peter could not have foreseen the magnitude of his failure. He bragged he would die for Christ and then cowered in the dark when the time came. His bravado was outmatched only by his dismal downfall.
But any Bible student knows that Christ restored him and history records Peter’s remarkable comeback (John 21, Acts 2). Still, we sometimes overlook the conversation where Jesus predicted not only Peter’s downfall, but also his comeback (Luke 22:32). Jesus not only restored Peter, He anticipated that his second half would be greater than his first.
Trust God. Accept His grace. He isn’t finished with you yet. Leave the past behind. And get ready for the second half.