Command 28 : Deny Yourself | Day 194

Lose Your Life to Save It!

Outside the city gate, four men looked at each other in despair. They were lepers, gaunt with hunger and with no food in sight. Things were even worse behind the city walls, where mothers were so desperate for food that they were actually eating their own children. The men reasoned among themselves, "If we stay here we will certainly die. If we surrender to the enemy they will probably kill us, but there is a slight chance that they will have mercy on us." Realizing that they had nothing to lose, they began walking toward the enemy camp. What they found was beyond their wildest imaginations—thousands of abandoned tents filled with food and treasures! They enjoyed a feast and then ran back to share the good news with the rest of the city. (See II Kings 7:3-16.)

This account illustrates the mind-set that we also must have. If we seek to protect our lives by reserving our time, talents, and resources only for those things that will benefit ourselves, we will completely miss out on the wealth of eternal treasures that God has in store for those who live their lives for Him.

Our condition is like that of the helpless lepers. Only when we are willing to lose our lives will we find life.

After giving the command to take up our cross, Jesus said: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?" (Luke 9:24-25).

In this passage, the Greek word for life is psuche, which refers to the seat of our affections, intellect, and volition. It is in the soul that a major battle between God and Satan occurs. Satan wants to control the mind, will, and emotions for his purposes, but God wants to transform the mind, will, and emotions through His power. However, this cannot take place until we surrender our wills to God and choose to follow Him.

Losing your life means surrendering your cherished ambitions and replacing them with the goals God has for His kingdom.

I will never forget meeting a handsome 18-year-old who was the star of his basketball team, president of his student council, and leader of his church youth group. His personality drew people to him like a magnet, and he exhibited unusual leadership abilities. Whatever he did was successful and his plans for the future looked promising.

I met him again when he was 40 years old. He was discouraged, disillusioned, and still trying to figure out what he was supposed to do in life. Nothing he did really satisfied him because he had never died to his own ambitions in order to embrace God's kingdom goals, such as discipling others in the ways of the Lord.

Have you taken the same initiative, diligence, and creativity to advance the cause of Christ that you would take to achieve your own personal goals? When you get to the end of your life, what do you want to look back on that God did through you to advance His kingdom? Let's wisely spend our lives carrying out the will of God and telling as many others as we can about the abundant life that is available in Christ! (See John 10:10.)