I was recently reminded that I’m better off being a loser.
Not long ago I was sitting with a missionary talking about what it takes to move your
family halfway across the world, away from family and all the comforts we can take for
granted. He shared how challenging it has been, yet how much peace and joy their family
has gained in letting go and seeing Jesus provide. He shared with me a challenging
question, which he said has motivated his ministry. He asked, “What are you willing to
lose for Christ?”
The following day I kept having his question roll through my head. I also asked myself,
“How much am I willing to lose?”
I don’t really like asking those questions because no matter how I answer it, I’m going to
lose something. If I say I’m not willing to lose anything – I really lose.
You see, I’ve come to believe that intimacy with Jesus is directly proportional to how
much I am willing to lose.
Jesus said it pretty bluntly:
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will
find it. (Matt. 16:24-25)
The key to truly growing closer to Jesus is a willingness to lose. To lose pride. To lose
control of the future. To lose selfish desires.
That’s scary stuff. I really wrestle with losing. By nature, I’m a pretty competitive and
prideful person. Deep down I know it’s silly to think that anything I can dream up would
be better than what God can dream up, but sometimes I still don’t want to lose the control
and the safety of my own dreams.
However, the times in my life where I have been willing to let go and lose is when I have
seen the Father do some pretty wild and exciting things in my life. The Father did it all; I
just had to be willing to become a loser.
Peace,
Nick
Not long ago I was sitting with a missionary talking about what it takes to move your
family halfway across the world, away from family and all the comforts we can take for
granted. He shared how challenging it has been, yet how much peace and joy their family
has gained in letting go and seeing Jesus provide. He shared with me a challenging
question, which he said has motivated his ministry. He asked, “What are you willing to
lose for Christ?”
The following day I kept having his question roll through my head. I also asked myself,
“How much am I willing to lose?”
I don’t really like asking those questions because no matter how I answer it, I’m going to
lose something. If I say I’m not willing to lose anything – I really lose.
You see, I’ve come to believe that intimacy with Jesus is directly proportional to how
much I am willing to lose.
Jesus said it pretty bluntly:
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will
find it. (Matt. 16:24-25)
The key to truly growing closer to Jesus is a willingness to lose. To lose pride. To lose
control of the future. To lose selfish desires.
That’s scary stuff. I really wrestle with losing. By nature, I’m a pretty competitive and
prideful person. Deep down I know it’s silly to think that anything I can dream up would
be better than what God can dream up, but sometimes I still don’t want to lose the control
and the safety of my own dreams.
However, the times in my life where I have been willing to let go and lose is when I have
seen the Father do some pretty wild and exciting things in my life. The Father did it all; I
just had to be willing to become a loser.
Peace,
Nick