Bread for the JourneySample

Win or Lose

The words win and lose are very common to everyone. From the youngest children to the oldest adults, we have all had and will have the experience of losing or winning. You win or lose in sports, finance, competitions, contests, and, as we've clearly seen, in politics.

Not everyone is ready to lose; the reality is that many factors come into play, such as personality, self-esteem, age, how unfair (or not) the decision was that proclaimed us the losers, etc.

Jesus spoke about these two concepts on a spiritual level; the words He spoke go beyond the temporary and point toward eternity. The Teacher told His disciples: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:35-36, NIV) The Lord was talking about two decisions, two paths.

Jesus started by telling them that whoever wanted to follow Him must deny themselves and take up their cross daily. This, of course, doesn't sound very sweet to the ear.

We are very inclined to look out for ourselves, to fight for what we want. We like to please ourselves, and anything that involves self-denial and sacrifice doesn't make much sense to us. When Jesus talks about carrying the cross, He is telling us that our surrender to His will must be total and firm, even if it hurts, even if it demands a sacrifice, even if it means being marginalized, looked down on, or ridiculed.

This self-denial, in the judgment of men, will appear to be a loss. But what is an immense tragedy is to gain the world and lose the soul.

As often happens when the earthly meets the eternal, we see contradictions that we can only understand on the spiritual level. Winning or losing are terms that take on a very different dimension than what we are used to.

That's why when the Lord says, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35, NIV), we get a little confused. So, if I lose my life, I gain it; and if I gain it, I lose it.

Losing your life is simply laying it at the Lord's feet. It is seeking God's will instead of our own. The apostle Paul explains it so clearly that I think it's easier for us to understand if we let him tell us about his decision.

"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8, NIV)