“Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” [LUKE 17:33 NASB]
The great paradox of life is that those who lose their lives will gain them. This paradox becomes visible in very ordinary situations. If we cling to our friends, we may lose them, but if we are non-possessive in our relationships, we will make many friends. If fame is what we seek and desire, it often vanishes as soon as we acquire it, but if we have no need to be known, we might be remembered long after our deaths. When we want to be in the center, we easily end up on the margins, but when we are free enough to be wherever we must be, we often find ourselves in the center.
Giving away our lives for others is the greatest of all human acts. This will gain us our lives.
The reflexive impulse of our culture is to hold onto our lives by clinging to money and status, relationships and popularity. Yet the way of Jesus is far different. What might God be inviting you to give up in order to preserve the life he has given you?
Lord, reveal to me the ways in which you’re inviting me to gain life by giving it up to develop your kingdom life within me. Amen. [Faith that Matters]
