September 12, 2026 · 1 min read · 6 thoughts
What losing teaches
Thought 1 of 6
I have a book with a title that makes people laugh nervously at dinner parties. They ask if I am serious. I am. Losing is not the opposite of the life of faith; it is the doorway into it.
Three things losing taught me
None of these came from a classroom. They came from a hospital corridor, a resignation letter, and a Tuesday I would rather not describe.
- That I was never holding things together. I was being held.
- That the people who stayed were not impressed by me. They loved me.
- That a smaller life, lived honestly, is larger than a big one lived for show.
You can read those three lines in ten seconds. It took me a decade to be able to say them without flinching.
A smaller life, lived honestly, is larger than a big one lived for show.
And the one thing losing could never take? The voice that says you are loved before you have done anything at all. Losing only turns the volume up.
Bring this message to your church or team
Dr. Zarate speaks at churches, conferences and leadership retreats.