“The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” (Judges 7:2, ESV).
 
     Congratulations are in order. Morocco is the first African country to reach the semifinal stage of FIFA’s World Cup. (I’m talking about the other kind of football we in America call soccer.) In a match that rivaled David and Goliath, Morocco beat the ninth rank team in the world from Portugal.

     Everyone loves an underdog story. Underdogs are typically outmatched. Their odds are long. Few people bet on an underdog.

     That is unless you are God. The Scriptures are filled with stories of people who had little going for them yet came out on top. Gideon was one such unlikely hero. Gideon lacked self-confidence. He had little to no political power to affect change. He even doubted God after God had promised him victory.

     However, God used this spineless, self-conscious, coward to beat an invading army of thousands with only 300 soldiers. God wanted Gideon to understand that though the odds were not in Gideon’s favor, God should receive acclaim for winning the battle. Harry Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

     We admire such entrepreneurial types as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Marie Curie, and George Washington Carver. Each of these persons is credited for the unique innovations they made. Yet the inventions that bear their names were made possible by many others who helped contribute to the discoveries.

     For example, Alexander Graham Bell solved the problem of turning electrical signals into sounds. However, Bell’s work was made possible by people like Samuel Morse and Philip Reis who had developed early versions of the telegraph. Bell’s real contribution to the new system of communication was to vary the level of sound.

     So, perhaps Morocco wasn’t as much of an underdog as we thought. Though a team of individuals, the team discovered its strength is more than the sum of its parts. Each player contributes selflessly toward one unified goal. Winning.

     I’m with Harry Truman on this one. We can accomplish more when we set aside our egos. And with God on our side, there is no limit to what can be achieved. My hope is that you will be happy for the win, even if your name isn’t inscribed on the trophy.