June 23, 2025
By Dr. Cindy H. Carr
Owning a business comes with both mountaintops and valleys. Over the three decades that Dubby and I owned our telecommunications company, we experienced many wins.
We had seasons when our phones rang constantly, bids were accepted, and customers
trusted us so deeply that they didn’t even go out to bid. We were their go-to company —
their trusted advisors. But business isn’t always about winning. It’s also about learning how to handle losing well.
When You Don’t Get the Job
There were times when we invested hours — sometimes days and weeks — designing, quoting, and presenting proposals for projects that we really wanted. We’d work late into the night to meet deadlines, pray over the opportunities, and pour our best ideas into the plans. Then, the call would come: “We decided to go another direction.”
Those words could sting. When you put your heart into your work, losing a bid can feel
personal. You wonder what you could have done differently, or why it wasn’t your turn this
time. But very early on, we made a decision that became one of the healthiest habits in our business life: we wouldn’t wallow in our losses.
The Energy of Perspective
When you give too much energy to disappointment, it drains the creativity and optimism
you need for the next opportunity. We learned that we had to let go of what didn’t go our way so we could stay fully available for what might be just around the corner.
So, when we didn’t win a job, I developed a simple phrase that became a personal reset
button: “God needs to feed them too.” It reminded me that every company bidding that job represented people — people with families, bills, and employees depending on them. And maybe this time, they needed the win more than we did.
Provision Is Bigger Than Profit
That simple phrase carried me through years of competition and tough markets. It helped me see that God’s provision is not limited to me, my company, or my plans.
It’s never all about me. It’s never all about us. And it’s never just about our business. God
cares for all of His people — and He has ways of meeting needs we can’t always see.
When I learned to celebrate that truth, something beautiful happened: my peace stopped depending on whether or not I got the job.
Blessing Your Competitors
In Scripture, we’re told: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)
If God calls us to bless even our enemies, how much more should we bless our competitors — the ones who are working hard, just like us, trying to make an honest living?
Choosing to bless rather than begrudge doesn’t just reflect good business ethics — it
reflects Kingdom perspective. Every time we lost a bid, I made it a practice to thank God for the opportunity and to ask Him to bless the team that won. That mindset kept my heart free from bitterness and my focus on what mattered most: doing good work and trusting God with the results.
The Takeaway
Losing in business doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you human. And it reminds you that success isn’t just about profit margins — it’s about perspective.
The next time something doesn’t go your way, take a breath and whisper, “God needs to
feed them too.”
You’ll find peace in that truth — and the strength to move forward toward the next
opportunity that has your name on it.
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