Lose Your Life to Find It

It’s funny, really, how we can look at life sometimes, wanting the picture perfect, the easy peezy, and being upset when we don’t get it, even though Jesus, though promising abundant life, said to expect suffering. 

I used to think that life was just about reaching the standard of having everything I wanted, marriage, a family, friends, peace, joy, money, financial stability, a house, etc. That’s what I work for. That’s what I pray for. That’s what I expect. But that isn’t what life’s about at all, is it? 

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” - Matthew 16:25

Maybe life is about losing it to find it.

Am I ready to lose my life, that idea of a perfect life, of joy and peace all the time, of no financial hardships, easy marriage, good and well-behaved kids, for Jesus’ sake, whatever it looks like, persecution or not? I’m willing, definitely willing, but I need the Lord’s help to do it. 

It’s funny, really, how we look at life, see it for what the television shows, what the romance movies portray, the cookie cutter houses and the crisp mowed lawns, as if the only reason are for those things, to get and to enjoy. Now, Ecclesiastes talks about enjoying life, but it also talks about how life is meaningless, how the only thing that matters is fearing the Lord.  

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” - Ecclesiastes 12:13

But how do we not get caught up with the ways of this world? How do we stay focused on Jesus, on His call: to go out and make disciples, to love God and love people, to lose our lives to find them? 

“Trust in the Lord… In all your ways, acknowledge [the Lord], and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord always and acknowledge Him. When we do that, rely on Him and look for Him in everything, maybe we’ll look at life not as the world does, as something to grasp, but as He does, as something to lose. 

May He helps us lay our lives down for Him. To Him, I commit my spirit.