You must lose to win.

What???

Oftentimes, Jesus used parables and other analogies to get His point across. And just as often, we have to dig into our spiritual selves, rather than using pure intellect, to understand what He’s trying to teach us. This is one of those times.

Jesus said, “The only way you really can FIND your life is to be willing to LOSE your life.” This statement is one of the paradoxes of meaningful living. What did Jesus mean? How can we find our life if we lose it? We’d be dead. Now, settle down – it’s about dying – but not dying physically.

Think about it this way. How are most people trying to discover their ultimate meaning? Some by achievement; others through education. Many see it through experience; others through relationships. Still others see it through acts of pleasure and the acquisition of things. But the reality is, Christ says it’s a paradox. Until you’re willing to lose all this, to let go of it as a source of ultimate meaning, you’ll never find yourself. It’s about letting go of your priorities, of your desires, of your interests, in order to follow Christ’s priorities.

So have you made that decision? Are you willing to lose your priorities for Christ’s priorities? Yes, it’s a paradox – the only way to really win is to lose your “life” and find ultimate life in Christ Jesus.