My mind swam and the tears I held back stung my eyes. Why this struggle? It was one off-handed comment; why did it throw me into such a tailspin? In a matter of minutes I had mentally crafted a defense and counter-attack. But, checked by the gracious Holy Spirit, I stopped. No, I won’t go there. Instead, knowing the safest place to go, I crept to my dark room, and bowed low.
On our face is the only place from which we can never fall. And however you want to credit it, as clear as a voice one word filled the room.
“Lose.”
The tears fell now, now happy, now release. Of course. The ball inside instantly unwound. Now there was peace. The storm was stilled.One word from Him does just that.
Of course. The call to following Jesus can be summed up in just one word.
Lose.
The call to joy, the call to peace, the call to hope and everlasting life. Of course, hadn’t Christ already said it and continues to say it today?!
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matt. 10:39)
Whoever loses his life, will find life. The way to be rich is to give. The way to glory is humility. The way to be exalted is to bend low. And we cannot trick God or short-cut His process. Pretending to lose our life won’t yield the rich results.
Only when we actually lose will we actually find.
The finding is only real if the losing is as well.
How, then do we lose? In every situation Christ can translate that one word into the perfect application. He can show you exactly what it means to lose and find true life. Perhaps,
- Choose to lose the competition.
- Choose to lose money.
- Choose to lose comfort.
- Choose to lose control of others.
- Choose to lose entitlement.
- Choose to lose the argument.
- Choose to lose the American Dream.
It is real. The life we find when the loss is real. Yes, there are eternal rewards in heaven, but there are indescribable benefits right here too. Why?
Because losing is freeing.
Because losing is finding.
{May you find joy overflowing this week as you LOSE and find life. Thanks for reading.}
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Isaiah 57:14
2 thoughts on “Lose.”
Comments are closed.
just what I needed today. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your encouraging writing, Kari! Your book Plenty is the best I have read as a new mommy. May God bless and keep you and may His face shine upon you and your sweet family.