Losing Your Life to Find It

“He who finds his life will lose it,
and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:39

It’s verses like this that make Christianity sound hard, isn’t it? Losing your life to gain it? That doesn’t sound like fun, and what does it even mean?

When Jesus came to earth, he turned many cultural and even religious trends upside down. If you want to be great, you’ll have to be last. If you want to be a leader, you need to wash some feet. Rejoice in your persecutions.

Even his Apostles were confused. Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?” (Matthew 15:16).

This is why it is so important for us to meditate on Scripture and not just skip over the hard parts while trying to finish our daily Bible reading. If we want to know God, we must understand His teachings. Let’s read more of Matthew 10:

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.
I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

We know Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and in John 14:27 he says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” So what does He mean he brought a sword? God ultimately desires unity, but unfortunately our love of Christ can cause division between us and others, even our own family members.

35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Family members will be against each other as some move towards Christ while others move away from his teachings. That’s what sin does, it separates us from God and it can divide family members who see things differently.

If we love our family members enough to go along with their sinful actions, then we are not worthy of Christ. If I love my children so much that I put them before my love of Christ, then I am not worthy of Christ.

That is really hard to consider and to put into practice. I can’t neglect my children. But I can’t neglect my love for God and my obedience to Him.

38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Taking up a cross means someone or something has to die. What do you need to put to death to follow Christ? Is it ego and pride? Slothfulness? Awards and praise? Business? Drunkenness? Insecurity? Perfectionism? Reclusiveness?

When we put to death our selfish desires, we can come alive in Christ! But when we hold on tightly to our worldly things, we will lose our eternal life.

It’s different for all of us, but for me, I have a tendency to be slothful – doing too much thinking and not enough doing. But that is not the kind of life God wants me to live. Romans 12:11(NLT) says, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Thinking about serving my fellow sisters in Christ is not actually serving. For me to be a better Christ follower, I must put to death my tendency to overthink and to just do.

All the things we need to put to death are temporary. My comfort in staying in my home, thinking about what to do is only a temporary comfort. Eventually I have to do something. Eventually this physical body of mine will die and I will be faced with an eternal life or an eternal death.

We must ask ourselves, “What has eternal value?” Is it serving myself or serving others?

Galatians 2:20 is a song, that you may know in the King James Version of Scripture. But let’s read the New Living Translation:

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.“

Here is my paraphrase of this verse: My sinful self has been put to death, because now I follow Christ. I no longer live for my own glory, but for the glory of God. I remain in my physical body, but I must trust in the teachings of Jesus, because he died for me. He died so that I may live a hope-filled life. I rest in the hope of living in Heaven one day.

I have one more verse from Paul for you to read today:

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
(Philippians 1:21)

Another paradox. If you are alive, and I assume you are since you’re reading this, you must be living for Christ. A life of serving and doing, all in the name of Christ. Are you washing feet? Are you folding yet another pile of clothes? Are you loving your neighbor? Are you giving so much it hurts?

And to die is gain. Dying is your reward. Do you think of death in that way, as a reward? I admit I have a hard time thinking dying is better than living. Maybe I am still holding too tightly to the blessings God has given me to enjoy here on earth. But Paul knew his own death was very possible very soon, and he said to die is gain. It sounds like he’s saying he would rather die! But if he keeps living, it will be living for Christ.

What are you putting to death today? And even more, how are you going to live for Christ today?