Whoa. I think Jesus expressed that same sentiment, in different words: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25, NAS) All four gospels record the same statement in almost exactly the same words. It must be important.
We Americans…and I fit that category, too…we’re often a bunch of save-our-own-lifers. We’ve been trained from birth to be save-our-own-lifers. We carry our “Bible ammunition” on wide belts, but our hearts are wrapped – and trapped – in
our pursuits…So when Jesus asks, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matt. 16:26, NAS) I get the sense that in our schedules, our needs, our money, our pursuits, there’s also our loss….our loss of experiencing the fullness of Him Who calls us…our loss in not experiencing His joy and releasing His deliverance in the lives of others, setting the captives free….
Paul prayed that the Ephesians would “…be able to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God…” (Eph. 3:18, 19 NAS)
I like the way Bill Johnson describes his “personal routine”: “My personal routine looks like this: I cry out to God in private and take risk in public. When the breakthrough I long for isn’t happening, I go back to God in the secret place…”
Good advice. It directs me towards living His Life, through me…