Lose To Gain, Die to Live

There is a very backward principle in the kingdom of God. It is not the way of the world that we live in but it is the way of wisdom. It is the way often resisted and refused. It is the way of Christ.Many people believe that coming into a relationship with Christ means death to the things they want. But this is only true if your wants are contrary to what is best for your life. In fact, it is foolishness to believe that anyone has ever lost anything by following Christ. We have only gained, and undeservingly so.

I want to put the death the voice inside of me that would count my losses since knowing Jesus. There is no tab to be kept. There is no grieving of things lost or longed for. There is only a receipt of canceled debt. This alone is enough to silence the heart's pity-party.
Some understand that to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, as a wholehearted disciple, you'll be asked to forsake yourself. They fear having to relinquish their ambitions, aspirations and passions in life. Many are not ready to surrender such valuable portions of their hearts to a man who lived both life and death with such reckless abandonment. For some the reservation is in money. Consider the rich young ruler who wanted eternal life but was not willing to part with his wealth. Had he only known the riches he would have gained had He done as the Lord requested of him. The Bible says that he went away sad that day and understandably so. Though he hadn't sold a thing, he had surely lost.

For others the reservation may be ambition or passions and their hearts burn for other, lesser things that will not submit to the will of God. Many times God wants to give us the desires of our hearts but only when those desires become His, first. If we could just trust Him to take every talent, gifting, and passion and fashion it in the fire of His love, I know it would resemble something more gratifying to us and glorifying to Him. And yet we cling to these vain imaginations as God longs to bring death to them that He may give us the real thing.
And yet for others the resistance stems from forfeiting the sin they so enjoy. Nothing on this earth could ever compare to the satisfaction of knowing and following Christ, especially not the indulgence of our "favorite" sin. If we are not at war with our sin then something is wrong. To follow Christ in Godly submission is to crucify the sin of the flesh, and to never make peace with it again. If we are still coddling our sin like it's a puppy under our arm, we will never know what it means to be a true disciple. The kingdom came to destroy sin, not give place to it.

And yet I suppose there will always be those of us who will never fully trust this God with His crazy, backward ideas. Seems too foolish to be wisdom and yet, He gives wisdom to the simple things and makes foolish the wise. His way is always the best way and I consider not the things I have lost for I have only gained, in Him. He has given me more than I have ever deserved and has asked very little of me; only to follow Him.