What is Life? – Matthew 10:39

Matthew 10:39: He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

What are you pursuing these days? Typically, most of us spend much of our lives pursuing, going after, or striving for what we think we want. We pursue these things because knowingly or unknowingly we have been convinced that these things are important – we believe they will bring happiness and enjoyment. Possibly, some of them will do this for awhile, but does it last? Is this happiness and enjoyment sustainable?

Jesus makes what appears on the surface a bizarre statement in today’s verse. He starts by noting those who find life will lose it. The underlying issue He is pointing out is how we define “life”. The life that Jesus is warning against is the life that involves pursuing the above things that we think will bring us happiness and enjoyment. Some of these things might include wealth, status, power, education, possessions, and relationships.

As we go after these things, though, do we find them fulfilling on a long term basis? Can we find contentment in them? The life that Jesus is warning we will lose consists of these things He knows not only will not fulfill us or satisfy us, but also we will spend a lot of physical, emotional, and mental energy in both the search of and keeping them. As our Creator, Jesus knows us better than we do, so He knows what is in our best interest. More importantly, He knows Who is in our best interest.

We were designed by a God Who installed in every human a desire for Him. Every combustion engine car comes with a gas tank. Without gas it does not work correctly. If we tried to put lemonade, rubbing alcohol, or any other kind of liquid in the gas tank, the car is not going to run as it was meant to. Only when we put the appropriate fuel in the car will it serve its true purpose – to take us places.

Following this example, we are the car. The life we pursue that Jesus is warning against is the wrong fuel. The fuel we need – the life we need – is Jesus. In the second half of today’s verse, He offers a promise, “he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” How do we lose our lives? – By giving up pursuit of those things that we think will bring us happiness or enjoyment. If we surrender our pursuits and allow Jesus to become our primary focus, what life we lose will be replaced and overwhelmed by a much greater life. Jesus said in John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The life Jesus offers is first and foremost the most fulfilling life we can have because He is with us at all times. As mentioned earlier, our Creator designed us to be complete with Him. Our purpose, our true enjoyment – one that is sustainable and relentlessly rewarding is a life dedicated to Jesus’ lordship. Satan is not going to surrender his influence on us easily, though. He has been the one behind making us think the “life” we are pursuing is what is really best for us. He does this because He knows should we choose to find life in Jesus, we become a threat to him. Therefore he keeps lying to us that the things we are pursuing are better and what Jesus offers doesn’t compare in enjoyment.

Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). Satan is a liar (John 8:44). Whom are we going to believe? The one who tells us to spend our energy pursuing things that don’t last and then spend even more energy trying to keep them, or are we going to believe the One Who created us and offers the abundant life we were designed to have? What life sounds better? It’s ours to find or lose.

 

Isaiah 60:1

Oh, LORD, what darkness surrounds me.
How it oozes and seeps into my pores.
Then it slithers and threatens my mind
With the dread there will be much more.

My heart begins to quake and tremble -
Leaving me paralyzed with fading hope.
How could such a doom break through?
As if I’ve arrived at the end of my rope.

Suddenly a voice from heaven thunders
Tearing a hole in hopelessness’s roof.
Darkness’s lies crumble to their knees
Giving way to the Light and the truth.

“Arise, My child, for your light is here!
Why have you forgotten My presence?
Don’t you recall upon your confession?
That I instilled in you My holy essence.”

“The darkness and its grave were beaten
By My beloved Son’s death at Calvary.
When I resurrected Him with My power.
The Light of the World won the victory!”

“As for My unbelieving and lost creation -
The ones drowning in darkness and tears,
If they could only see what you believe,
My perfect love will cast out their fears.”

“So, don’t forget, My beloved possession.
You can arise and shine for I have come.
My glory will forever rise upon you
With the same power that raised My Son.”

“Shine My Spirit’s light who dwells inside
That will testify that My Word is true.
For light will always defeat the darkness
When they’ll see that it did so for you.”

Why Jesus Was Sent

God takes no pleasure in the death of any.
He wants all of His creation to repent.
To prove the truth of this passionate desire,
His only begotten Son to us was sent.

He looked at each of our worst moments
And our rejection of His holy existence.
From a heart of mercy and compassion,
He chose to take our sin death’s sentence.

Yet we still believe the deceits and the lies.
If He exists, He’s an unfair and angry judge.
When we reject the necessity of the cross.
We’re missing His greatest display of love.

What more powerful proof can we find?
For another to willingly lay down one’s life.
The only way to be reconciled to our Creator,
Was for His Son Jesus to be our sacrifice.

The fear of death was given a mortal blow.
His resurrection proving love never fails.
Imagine the guilt and shame of our past
Are forgiven and left on His cross’ nails.

Why won’t we choose to believe this truth?
Receive the free gift of His amazing grace.
If this is the only life that we have to live,
Does it feel anything like a heavenly place?

If there is more to live after our last breath,
Perhaps the cross makes a lot more sense.
To be given the promise of an eternal peace,
We’ll start to believe why Jesus was sent.

That God loves every life that He creates.
You’re no evolved ape, you’re no accident.
If you’ll take Jesus’ nail-pierced hands,
You’ll become a reason why He was sent.