Are you willing to lose to win? Does that sound like an oxymoron to you? Do you think it is a contradictory statement? What if it is true? What if you need to lose, let go, give up, so you can ultimately win? Will you? Will you do what Jesus has told all of us to do?
Losing goes against our competitive culture. We want to win in sports. We want to win in our jobs. Our corporations are continually seeking to win as they compete against one another. We have been taught to compete to win. But winning can also cause us to lose.
I remember being in a guided tour of the Chancellorsville battlefield a few miles from Fredericksburg, VA many years ago. The park ranger who was conducting the tour, and who had studied the civil war extensively, stated his belief was that by winning the battle at Chancellorsville, Lee was ultimately defeated. His reasoning is that Lee became bloodthirsty and chased the Union army to Gettysburg in which Lee lost and ultimately lost the war.
Jesus tells us that we must lose to win. We must lose our life, meaning we give up our preferences, desires, and selfishness. By doing so, we gain our life. Not just a mundane life on this earth but the abundant life Jesus promises. We also gain eternal life. To become who God intends for us to be, we must give up our selfish ways and choose to follow Jesus. It is only by giving up and allowing Jesus to lead the way that we find our true life.
I pray we all choose to lose our lives. I pray we give up our selfish desires. I pray each one of us choose to accept the abundant life Jesus has promised and the eternal life He offers us. Lose your life. Give up your selfish desires. Accept the abundant life. Accept eternal life.
Matthew 10:39 “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
Marty Pressey 