READ: John 10:17-18
“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.“ – Matthew 10:39
There are two ways to lose the things God wants you to give up. You can either give them up voluntarily or they can be taken away from you. I promise you that giving something is very different from having it taken from you. One is a sacrifice and the other is not. Both end with a loss to you.
Jesus was clever; He knew it was a matter of time before the Pharisees would kill Him. He knew that it was just a matter of time before He would be eliminated. The build up of hatred was obvious to all. Instead of waiting for this to happen, He gave Himself up to be crucified.
There is a big difference between giving up something and having it taken from you. In both cases, you end up losing. I have watched as people tried to preserve themselves and their families but ended up losing them. There are people who think they are preserving their family lives by not getting too involved in church activities. They give themselves to secular pursuits thinking that they are safeguarding the future of their homes. Many of these people have ended up losing their children and their spouses as they followed money on a wild goose chase. Many have also tried to prevent financial loss as they avoided going into full-time ministry. Many times, they lost what they were trying to keep.
Dear friend, be it known unto you that he who keeps his life will lose it and he who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it. These are the irrevocable words of our Saviour.